The Adventures of Natalia Warden and Hal Talon1
by Katlana Child
Summary: Two top agents from Miami become partners.  One agent just so happens to be Mal and Natara's daughter.  When they are assigned to stop a series of kidnappings, can they succeed before the kidnapper hits too close to home?
1. Chapter One

**Hey guys! So you know that story I've bee oh-so-excited about? Well, here it is! I want to tell you a different story before we talk about this one, though. **

**Once upon a time, in a magical place called, 'School', an eighth grade literature teacher gave 20 students an assignment; write a story based off of an instrumental. She played four tracks and one girl who happened to sit in the back of the class was filling her notebook up with ideas using the same two characters for each song; Mal Fallon and Natara Williams. She was ready to get a perfect score once she chose her song. But something bit at her mind, and she looked over her choice of characters once more. 'I use these characters too much,' she thought, shaking her head. 'Maybe I should stop stealing characters and make up my own with possible similar names.' That gave her an idea.**

**The next day, she came to school with that same notebook, but Mal and Natara's names were crossed out and replaced with two other people; Hal Talon and Natalia Warden, two characters who had also appeared in the beloved app game, but were only mentioned a couple of times and were meant not to appear again. Something her teacher had said had also lodged itself in her mind. 'Every year, a student decides to continue this project and make a book out of one three-paged intro. I hope this class will not abolish that tradition.' And so, the young student who loved to write carried on the tradition. During her second math period every day, she wrote. Sometimes she had five minutes to scratch down ideas, and other times, she had a whole HOUR! But eventually, within two months, she completed three short stories that took up two notebooks.**

**And she did get a perfect score on her assignment. -Fin-**

**How was that for an on the spot story? :) Well, as you can see, the young girl in the story just so happens to be yours truly. And yes, every fact is true. I wrote the assignment to techno music and it was meant to be sci-fy, but since I wanted it to be more believable, I decided to change the plot around a bit. The original one had people who were turned into robots with a special serum created by a crazed lawyer/doctor. I found that hardly believable, so I switched everything around and I guess you'll have to read to view the finished project.**

**I have to add, this is not my best work. It was very rushed. I wanted to post this story ASAP and I could have done better, but as I get used to writing again, I'll probably be writing like a genius again...if I ever did write like one...I'm just saying to make myself feel confident. :) And I am guessing you noticed the little one by the title or even the Book One. YES! I am planning future books. There is more to this story than this particular section holds. You'll meet even more characters from the original game in this story and we might even take a trip back to San Francisco for one. A lot of things might change around, but as for now, thanks for supporting me and all the reviews on The Tale of Three Princesses. There will be a sequel! I am trying my best to work on it. In fact, I think I deleted it and restarted. Please Read and Review and thanks again!**

**-Sincerely, Katlana C.**

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><p>The Adventures of Natalia Warden and Hal Talon-Book 1<p>

As Told By Natalia

Chapter One

I was having a horrible day before I realized that my uncle was kidnapped by an old lady in a wheelchair.

I was in the middle of a nice dream when a loud screech woke me up. I opened my eyes slowly and looked at my clock. I swore loudly when I saw the time.

"2:47," I growled. "Seriously Brynn?"

Might I mention that I am a single mother who has to take care of two kids; one is three and the other is one month. My ex left me a month ago after I learned about his secret girlfriend. I never really held a grudge after 5 AM. Anytime before, I called him and complained. That's just what I did this morning.

"Sean!" I hissed into the phone.

"Dang it, Natalia," he replied, "it's almost three. Why are you calling me?"

"You know why!"

"I told you that the check was..."

"Sean!"

"What?"

"I've had enough! I can't do this anymore. I need you to take the kids for a week."

"Natalia, you know with my work..."

"Sean, I'm a freakin' agent; I have access to government files and I know you were fired last week. But since your parents are filthy rich, you don't care. Take the kids."

"Even if I wanted to, I couldn't."

"Look, Warden," I growled. "I've been taking care of the kids since the divorce. Just take them for the rest of this week and a little into next week and I won't ask for any more favors."

"Sheesh, Nat. Is it that time of the month?"

"I swear, Sean..."

"I'm kidding! Wow, Nat."

"And don't call me that," I added in a sharp whisper.

"Natalia," he corrected himself. "Fine, I'll take Brynneth and Toby."

"I can't believe it."

"What?"

"His name is Tommy."

"I wouldn't be so disoriented if someone didn't decide to call me before 9."

"It's our daughter; she's sick."

"Then why are you letting me take care of her?"

"Because it's simple enough. I'll see you later."

"Good bye, Natalia."

I put the phone down and for a second, I felt accomplished. Then Brynn cried louder and I ran to her room.

C.o.D-C.o.D-C.o.D

"Promise Mommy you'll be a good boy for Daddy," I said, brushing Tommy's sandy hair back. He looked so much like Sean. Even Brynn had Sean's grey eyes and pointed nose.

"I promise," Tommy said and he sighed.

"This isn't a punishment," I assured him and he nodded.

"Yeah, I know."

A horn honked outside and I smiled. "Ok, Daddy's here. Let me go get Brynn's supplies. Can you wait by the door?"

"Ok," Tommy replied and made his way towards the door. Sean's mother had said Tommy was a lot like Sean when he was little; subtle and out of the way. I loved it. He never got into trouble and was quick to obey.

After grabbing Brynn's bag in one hand, and picking up Brynn in the other, I walked out to Sean's car. The sun was shining, like it always does in beautiful Miami, Florida.

I set Brynn into the car with her supplies and Tommy crawled in as well. Sean rolled down the window and smirked.

"You have fun without the bundles of joy, alright?"

"I'll see you in a few days. Thank you Sean, and I'm sorry for getting so mad."

"No prob, Nat...er...Natalia."

I waved as he drove off. Once out of sight, I walked back into my house and straight into the shower. I planned to head back to work today.

I'm a woman who loves her job and loves to work. I work as a Detective Agent for the MPA (Miami Police Agency). When Brynn was born, I took a leave of absence planned up to 16 weeks. Back then, I thought Sean and I would still be together. But then I found HER and him together and decided to just call it off and extend my leave of absence, almost threatening to take my job away from me.

I got dressed and applied my make-up. On my way out the door, I passed two black picture frames bearing the profiles of my mother and my father. I stopped to look at it, pondering my thoughts. I had always wondered how different my life would be if they were still alive.

My parents, Mal Fallon and Natara Fallon, worked in California. My mother was an FBI Profiler while my father was a detective for the San Francisco Police Department. Their love story is one of a kind! My aunt, Amy Kalaba, (she's not really my aunt; she's my God-Mother. My God-Father is Kai Kalaba) always told me their story of how they met to the day I was born. We tried to avoid talking about their unexpected deaths and I was ok with that, but I still wondered.

I looked like my mother, excluding my eye color and nose, which belonged to my father. That's why I was named Natalia. Of course, my father came up with the name because he had said, 'There can only be one Natara in my life, and one Natalia.'

From what I heard, my father was extremely protective and wanted only the best for me.

My mother cared about my future more than anything. If they could see me now, they'd be a mixture of overjoyed and outraged. Safety was important to them.

You see, I don't have any memories of them. I was three when they were killed; September 18 2016. Every time that specific date was mentioned, I turned away. Every time that day rolled around, I stayed home and heard memories from my aunt and uncle. And it just so happened that that same day was my birthday. It was always rough to deal with that day.

When I arrived at the agency after a five minute drive, I was instantly greeted by one of my best friends, Special Agent Nick.

"Nat, you're alive!" he called and he hugged me. Nick was originally my trainer.

"Living and breathing," I replied, smiling slightly. "You look great yourself. I'm guessing the diet has paid off?"

"Flattery will get you everywhere, Natalia," he chuckled. "But yes, that diet has paid off. The wedding is next month anyway."

"Oh yeah," I said and he laughed.

"You're invited."

"I know. But with my current situation, I don't know if I can go. I just convinced Sean to take the kids for a little over a week with no future favors."

"I swear, if you need someone to beat that guy up, I'm your man!"

"This is why you're my best friend, Nick."

He winked and flashed his charming smile. "Anyway, I'm sure Chief Spencer would love to see you again."

"Is that just a nicer way of saying I have a boat load of 'homework'?"

"You're good, Agent Warden. Are you considering a job in psychosis."

"Keep walking, Nick."

We pushed our way into the chief's office. "Hey Chief," I greeted, but stopped in my tracks. A familiar man stood at Chief Spencer's desk, shaking his hand. They both looked at me in surprise and I tried to hide the upcoming blush.

"Agent Warden, you're back," Chief Spencer said, smiling. "I'll get to you in a few minutes. I'm talking to a rather important guest. Agent Talon, this is my best agent, Natalia Warden."

"Charmed to meet you," Agent Talon greeted, losing his grip on Chief Spencer's and grabbing onto my hand. His voice was covered with a wonderful British accent. I suddenly knew who this was.

"You're the Miami Agent!" I blurted out.

The Miami Agent was the nation's top agent. Every department wanted him. He was also rumored to be a very charming person.

"Exactly," he chuckled. "Though I prefer Hal Talon. Hal might be better though."

"Well," Chief Spencer said. "It's a good thing you guys clicked so well, because I'm setting you two up as partners."

"What?" I asked. "I thought Nick was my..."

"Nick is going to have a temporary partner. I'm afraid you and Mr. Talon here have been assigned to a much more important case."

"You were just about to tell me," Hal informed quickly. I noticed our hands were still in a tight embrace. He didn't seem to care, though.

"Well, there has been a series of unfortunate kidnappings. I know this goes against every rule in the book, but Natalia, your uncle is a victim."

He motioned for Nick to close the door as he left and he played a tape. I almost couldn't believe what I heard.

"Miami Police Agency," the secretary greeted warmly.

"Hello?" Amy called out. Her voice was filled with worry. "My husband...he's been gone for over three days now!"

"I'm sorry ma'am, that's not..."

"My husband would never leave for more than a day! I need you to file a Missing Persons Report!"

"Alright. I'll have to have you give us all information about your husband, including appearance traits..."

I turned the recording off. Hal glanced at me, raising an eyebrow. "Are you alright, Natalia?"

"No," I growled. "But I will find whoever did this. Chief, are there any more missing persons reports that we could go over?"

"Check in with Sage," he confirmed. "She should have all the current missing reports."

Without thinking much about it, I pulled Hal along with me as I ran towards the crime lab.


	2. Chapter Two

**Well, I got some good news and some bad news. Let's start with the bad and continue from there. The bad sort of relates to the good in a way. Well, I go to a school where the grading is from Pre-K to Eighth. Crazy, I know. Surprisingly enough, people I met in Kindergarten are still there! I actually am going to miss every single one of them. So, into the bad news, I've been pretty depressed about it lately because I could have been so much nicer and maybe even admit a few things or to and change my personality a bit. It's just one of those moments where you crave to go back into the past and maybe help your past-self out and tell them about the hardships you will face. So, yeah, pretty pathetic for bad news, but I have one more thing to add. I won't be posting as often until next Summer. Now, before you kill me, let me explain...**

**Since I am leaving my school next year and the only way I'll have contact with some people is FaceBook, I decided to be a little more spontaneous. I stepped out of my shell a couple of times over the past few months and did things I probably wouldn't have. For instance...I'm currently working on creating a Cause of Death: The MaskMaker movie. To do this, I asked my best guy friend to be Mal, my best girl friend to be Natara, and a lot of other people from my class to be a part of the movie, so they have something to remember me by. You see, I'm that kind of person who craves to leave a mark that says, 'I was here.' I want to be talked about in a good way, and I want to think of myself as a good person as well! I want to be remembered. And I am working my hardest on that and I ended up with the MaskMaker idea. So, I won't be posting as much, but when I do, I'll give updates on production. Fingers crossed that this actually works.**

**And for a short update on production; I am still in Script-Writing Mode, but I have found ever single actor/actress besides the MaskMaker and Eric Mills. Ironic, huh? Well, I have my friend who is playing Natara ask her guy friend, and I'm asking mine, and if they both just so happen to say no, I have my brother as a back-up Serial Killer/Creepy Forensic Tech. If this movie is successful, I might add the second volume.**

**I am not editing the movie, my other friend is. (She also plays Amy Chen.) But I will make sure that she posts it on Facebook and Youtube so I can share it.**

**And that was my good news.**

**So, you guys now know why I won't be posting as often and yes, the sequel to tale of three princesses (to lazy to caps-lock right now) will possibly be posted soon.**

**Thank you for everything guys! Just one review makes my day even more special and I always get more than just one and I love that feeling. Well, it's 12:30 AM here. I think it's time I went to bed and got some well-deserved sleep. Thanks again!**

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><p>Chapter Two<p>

"His name is Harold G. Fitz. He's a five foot six inch man, with black hair, green eyes..."

"Her name...it's Christina 'Chris' Bule. She is five foot two and has blond hair, blue eyes. She's only seventeen..."

"Oh, she goes by Trisha but her real name is Taysha. She is sixteen, around five foot, has golden blond hair and silver eyes..."

Hal set the tape down and shook his head. "All of these reports were filed within days apart. Each victim has been reported with a clean record. I don't know what else I can gather from this, mate."

"Keep trying, Hal," I urged and replayed a series of tapes.

"Her name was Haley..."

"He goes by Taylor..."

"She loves the name Harlow and has taken it upon herself..."

"He hasn't been seen for twenty hours..."

"She left at noon and it's been a day..."

"I saw her around six last night leaving for the school prom. It's been maybe seven hours since the prom ended..."

Hal clicked the stop button. "Natalia, the only connection I can muster is the constant day difference. Your uncle, however was the pattern breaker."

"How?" I asked.

Hal referred to his notes, which I noticed were written in a very small hand, which bugged me. I hated small writing because I could read it. I glanced at Hal instead of his writing and listened to him speak, smiling at the sound of his perfect accent.

"Kai Sylvester Kalaba's wife, Amy Samantha Chen Kalaba, called three days after his disappearance. On the phone, she stated that he wouldn't leave for more than a day. Why didn't she call in earlier?" he read, raising an eyebrow. "That's a fact that bothers me. It's like our kidnapper purposely altered Amy's mind in order to break their...what's the word?"

"Streak?" I asked. He gave me an odd look and I smiled. "As in killing streak. Not the other kind."

"Thanks goodness," Hal muttered and shook his head once more. "Anyway, I say we visit your aunt and get some facts down."

"That shouldn't be too hard. I mean, she might be mourning or something, but other than that, she should be just peachy. If we're lucky, she might even be baking cookies."

C.o.D-C.o.D-C.o.D

Hal knocked on a blood-red colored door. My uncle had an odd fashion sense. A young women answered the door, her eyes slightly red. When she saw me, her eyes widened.

"Natalia," she cried. "Did you hear?"

"Yes," I said, nodding sadly. "Carly, this is my partner, Agent Hal Talon. We're here to question Amy. Is she here?"

Carly gasped slightly. She looked just like Amy, despite her poor sight, which she got from Kai. She also had an odd Gothic side. She avoided wearing anything with colors that didn't include black, blood-red, dark green, or purple. She was a little odd, but we grew up together. "Do you think Mom did it?"

"Of course not," Hal assured. Carly had the same reaction upon hearing his accent. She hid a giggle as she nodded.

"That's good to hear. Why don't you two come on in?" she said quickly.

We took the offer and Hal looked around, curious as to how big the house was. My aunt's house was one of those small on the outside, huge on the inside.

"Mom! Nat is here with some agent!" Carly called and disappeared into another room.

Hal smiled. "Your cousin, she's close?"

"Well, she was like my sister growing up. Of course we're close," I answered. Hal chuckled.

Aunt Amy entered the room, a white apron tied around her waist.

"Told you she was making cookies," I whispered and Hal smiled. He approached my aunt first.

"Good afternoon, Mrs. Kalaba," he greeted, shaking her hand. "My name is Special Agent Talon and I believe you already know my partner."

"Natalia...why are you..." Amy began but Hal continued on.

"We're here on account of your missing husband. Natalia and I have a few questions to ask about the days prior to your missing persons report call."

"Well," Amy sighed, "Natalia, why don't you two go to the living room. I'll follow behind in a second. Do you also want to question my daughter, Agent?"

"Of course," Hal answered. "We could use all the help we can gather."

I led Hal to the smaller living room. He instantly drifted towards a picture of me. I felt a blush creep onto my cheeks. Especially since it was my wedding picture.

"Hmm," Hal observed. "You look stunning in white. Might I ask who the lucky man is?"

"Um," I began awkwardly, "his name is Sean..." I began to wonder if Hal was naturally nosy. The thought sent chills down my spine.

He drifted towards another picture; this one was of Kai, Carly and I. Carly was around five and I was eight. "And this is Kai?" he asked.

"Yup," I responded, shifting from heel-to-heel, chewing my lower-lip. Hal looked at the photo until Amy entered with Carly following closely behind.

"Hal," I muttered and he flipped around, accidentally knocking the picture down. Thankfully he had reflexes like a cheetah and snatched the picture before it could hit the ground.

"I apologize, Mrs. Kalaba," he said instantly. "I am a bit of a klutz."

"It's alright," my aunt accepted the apology. "Natalia, isn't this a personal connection...why are you working on the case?"

"I am not sure," I answered.

"Well," Hal said quickly, "there were more than just one kidnapping, Mrs. Kalaba. And Chief Spencer said that Natalia was the MPA's best agent. So we teamed up..."

"I think that's good enough, Hal," I said and motioned towards the seats. "Let's get down to business."

"Ah, yes," Hal said, a small chuckle escaping from his mouth. "I almost forgot."

I sighed heavily and looked at my aunt. "Give me one second," I said and I pulled Hal aside.

"Did I mess up?" Hal asked. "Do I look a-mess? Are you mad?"

"Look Hal," I grumbled, "you're obviously a really good guy and you mean no harm. But seriously, you're the Miami Agent! You should act more like it."

"I am," Hal muttered. "In fact, using my 'Miami Agent' talent, I'm guessing that you're a mother of two. One is around the age of three and five."

I opened my mouth to protest, but stopped myself. "How did you do that?" I finally asked. Seriously, that was amazing.

"You're scolding me like a mother would do to her young child. Plus you have bags under your eyes, probably from a baby who kept you up. Am I right?"

I could have sworn I covered up my baggy eyes with make-up. I sighed. "Yes, you are. Let's just do what we came here to do, alright. We have a whole car-ride to disuse other matters."

"Yes ma'am," Hal replied with a smirk and we returned to the living room.

"Mrs. Kalaba," he began, taking a seat across from her. "We'd like to ask a few questions pertaining to your husbands disappearance."

"Yes, I think I get that," Amy replied dully. "Ask away."

"Ok. You and Kai love each other, correct?" he asked and I sighed once more.

"Of course," Amy scoffed. "I loved him to death!"

"I see. And when his disappearance occurred, you called the MPA saying, quote, 'My husband would never leave for more than a day' end quote. Is this true?"

"I believe so."

"Then why didn't you call the first night he was missing? Why did you call three days after the disappearance?"

Amy looked shocked, but regained her composure. "You don't think I kidnapped my own husband, do you?"

"Of course not," I added quickly. "There's just something off about your story."

"Natalia, you know in all of my arguments with Kai that we always made up," Amy whispered.

"I know," I said and shook my head. "But we need to know why you didn't call..."

"That's partially my fault," Carly admitted. "Mom was going to call the first night, but I told her that Dad was probably hunting or something. The second night, I started to worry, but kept my hopes up. The third night was when my 'hopes' crashed down on me and she called."

Hal nodded, scribbling down on his note pad and he nodded slightly. "That's enough for today." He stood up and I followed his actions. "Mrs. Kalaba, Carly, we'll find the person who kidnapped Kai. I will make it my undying promise."

"And I promise I'll find Uncle Kai too," I assured and smiled.

"I trust you two," Amy whispered and she stood up to shake Hal's hand and give me a short hug. "Just be safe, Natalia. I can't stand losing you too."

"I'll be fine," I whispered back and glanced at Hal. "I have the Miami Agent to watch over me now."

As we exited my once home, Hal pocketed his small notepad. "Are you positive you want to take on this case, Agent Warden?"

"I love my uncle," I responded. "I would never leave him out when I know that I can do a better job than most."

"Well, you do know that I think this is totally against everything I have been trained for and such," he replied. "After all, agents on a personal case is kind of damaging."

"Still," I said, "I much rather be the one to find out what happened first than find out later after they complete the autopsy..." I paused and shook my head. "Which they won't, because we'll be finding Kai alive, even if it kills us."

"That's not very promising," Hal muttered under his breath, but I caught it and grinned.

"Of course it isn't. We're agents, Hal. Being an agent means taking risks no matter what the cause. I swore an oath to protect humanity. That oath takes place now."

"Whatever you say, Agent Warden; whatever you say."


	3. Chapter 3

**It's very short and very raw. I'm sorry. I just felt like I needed to post something today, because I was beginning to slack off. Plus school starts on Tuesday and I might not be able to write for awhile. PLUS! I did finish writing the script, and all we need to do now is film and I need to edit the movie and BAM, done. That alone might take up until the end of May, and maybe leading into the first few weeks of June.**

**I am seriously not happy with this chapter, but I'll add a twist...if I can...into the next one to make it nicer. For this chapter, flames are OK. But if you want to, could you read and review? Just one makes my day so much better. :D Haha, in fact, I remember one of my stories had like seventeen reviews in one day and (I was at Zupas when this happened) I checked my email and squealed when I saw all the review alerts. It was worth the weird looks. Thanks guys. :D**

**Anyway, here's chapter three. I may or may not edit. OH! And just a little heads-up...I'm not sure if I'm allowed to mention this, but if you go on YouTube and input 'Cause of Death-A Thousand Years' and click on the video uploaded by Skyrules177, that's me! I made a little Maltara special.**

**I keep rambling on. :D But, who else liked Domestic Disturbance Pt. 2? Oh my, the scene when Mal is talking to Natara about marriage gets me every time-So cute! Also the whole conversation about Mal looking 'cute' as he barbeques and builds tree-houses for all of the little 'Mal's' running around made me smile. Oh! And when Mal 'kissed' Natara. That was too cute! In general, that episode was just so awesome. And I can't wait to play the Christmas Special, but you know, server issues, so it'll be awhile. Did ya'll have a good New Years? I know I did. (Jumped on Bubble-Wrap after the countdown and went to a dance...if you were wondering. :D) **

**I'd like to hear how you spent your holidays! If you don't have anything good to say about the story, that's perfectly fine. But if you want, tell me how your holidays went, recent thoughts on the latest Cause of Death Controversy, your favorite C.O.D video/character/scene etc...You know, all the good stuff. Adios!**

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><p>Chapter Three<p>

"Agent Talon, Agent Warden," Chief Spencer greeted, "I hope the interview went well."

"As expected, Chief," Hal said quickly. "We have done all that we can today."

"Excellent. Agent Talon, thank you for your assistance, but I need to talk with Ms. Warden." Chief Spencer added and he wrapped an arm around my shoulders.

"No problem," Hal said and nodded. "I'll talk to you later, mate." He exited the building and the Chief guided me into his office.

"Chief, what is this about?" I asked, almost fearing the response.

"Natalia, I'm still not positive about you working on the case. If all goes to worse...this could..."

"Chief, I'm more than willing. I know that it is against all rules..."

"Not only for your safety, Ms. Warden, but for the fact that you may be biased."

"Biased? Chief, I don't think being biased is my biggest worry. I understand fully the consequences of taking in this case and I am not backing down now!"

"You're a good person, Natalia, but you can't do this. If Kai doesn't make it, you'll murder yourself for not being there. I know what kind of person you are and I know how much this can affect you. Take my advice and don't do it."

"I'm sorry, Chief...but I won't..."


	4. Chapter Four

**Ello! Katlana here! I've been digging into this story a little more and decided to add a little fantasy, I guess you could call it. Ok, it's not really fantasy at all. But it's my story, I can say whatever the heck I want.**

**Anyways! Thanks for the reviews. I got home from school today feeling like crap and found two reviews in my inbox. Those reviews were from Youwillneverknowmeever and mozzi-girl. Though mozzi commented on the Tale of Three Princesses, it still made me smile and forget about the crapola I endured today. Thanks!**

**Ok, so onto a little more serious matter. I think Latin is a beautiful language. My resolution last year was to be able to speak a few sentences in Latin fluently, but that failed. So, I wanted to add some Latin into this chapter. Also, I think I did rather well on this chapter. It's a little longer than the last one and I finished it in maybe an hour, so there might be a few grammatical errors and such. I apologize in advance. Oh, and this is one of those chapters where I 'attempted' to be humorous. Don't kill me because I wasn't funny. :D**

**OH, and while I'm still ranting, I want to ask about who played the new Christmas Ep? Yeah! It finally uploaded and I am so flippin' happy. I screamed when I saw C.O.D's post about it and instantly bought it. If you're wondering if it's worth it...it is. And to spoil some...there is Maltara...I won't say what kind. ;D**

**Any questions? Any suggestions? Any comments or some critique? There's a review bottom at the bottom of the screen for that. ;) I'll try to answer question in my next chapter, alright?**

**Merry 2012 and Cause of Death. **

**Your Friend,  
>~Katlana Child~<strong>

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><p>Chapter Four<p>

"Special Agent Warden, good morning," Hal greeted. "You seem...upset?"

"Huh?" I asked, his voice taking me off my train of thought.

"You seem upset," he repeated. "Is there anything I, myself, can do to make you happier?"

This guy will not give up. "Hal, you're very kind, but I think it's more of a personal matter at the moment. Anyway, are you ready to crack this case?"

"About that," Hal said, half unsure. "Your technicians discovered a connection between every single victim. I was hoping we could check it out."

"Well, of course. But what is the connection?"

Hal sighed. "Promise not to murder me?"

I shrugged. "I make no promises."

"Fine. Have you ever heard of Lorem perfuga?"

I knew what language he was speaking, but I didn't dare guess at what he said. I shook my head. "What is that?"

"It's a little hide-away for refugees."

I thought about this in my head and nodded. "Lorem...it means home, correct?"

"You're catching on, Special Agent. Well, according to Miss Mercedes Jensen in the lab, she believes that everyone of the victims were involved with Lorem perfuga."

"My uncle wasn't a refugee," I muttered.

"No, they HELPED them out. You remember that war years back?"

"I was probably too young to care."

"Well, the Donec War took place for ten years here in the heart of Florida, and part of Georgia. Invaders captured innocent victims, threatening to kill them off if a few businesses decided not to give them what they wanted. I was still in school at the time, but I wanted to get involved. Eventually I was drafted to an upper ridge of Florida and that's when I noticed a few people ducking in and out of a cliff. I went to investigate and found a whole refugee camp of escaped victims. If your tech isn't mistaken, that's where we will be able to find some of our answers."

"I'm guessing it's going to be a long drive then, huh?" I asked, not willing to go with it.

"Don't sound so glum! I love car rides. We can make it fun!"

I smiled slightly. "You're always so happy, aren't you."

"Pessimistic ways aren't the best ways to drift towards," Hal confirmed. I nodded slightly.

"And who said I was pessimistic."

"I'm a profiler, much like you, Special Agent. It's my job to startle people with my amazing abilities."

It was a very lengthy car ride indeed, but Hal talked through most of it. Hal parked his car in an abandoned parking lot. This area seemed totally bare. Some buildings resided at the base of a broad mountain, but they all looked as if they were vacant.

_Perfect place for a hide-out,_ I thought.

"If I remember correctly, the entrance should be by a bushel of strawberries." Hal said, shielding his eyes from the sun.

I followed his gaze, but couldn't find myself to lock eyes with a bushel of strawberries. "Are you totally sure? You said the ten year war..."

"You might be right. Donec War was over five years ago. The bush might be dead."

"Or even better," I mumbled, "our refugees might be gone."

"Pessimistic..."

"Optimistic..."

Hal walked closer to the base and yelped slightly. A snake slithered away and he sighed.

"Afraid of snakes?" I asked with a smirk of amusement.

"No. Of...Of course not!" he replied. "It caught me by surprise, it did."

I smiled. "Sure it did, Hal. Sure it did."

"This thing you Americans have...sarcasm? Yeah, it's annoying."

"It's a way of life."

"It's an _annoying_ way of life."

I rolled my eyes and Hal shook his head. "At least look for a crevice in the mountain. That should be the entrance to either the camp, or the entrance to a chamber filled with vicious creatures."

"Talk about optimism."

After a half of an hour searching, Hal called me over to a large builder with a strange carving on its face.

"The Greek Omega," Hal muttered. "This must be it."

"Okay, first of all, if the camp has a Latin name, why are they using the Greek Omega?" I asked.

"They're a confusing people, I'll give them that," Hal muttered. He got on his hands and knees and grinned. "Bingo! The entrance is right here."

"Hal, I don't mean to be a jerk or anything...but I don't see an entrance."

"It's a burrow, Special Agent. Now I know that most American girls, what with their fancy hair, plastic surgery and such, don't like to get dirty..."

"Obviously you've never met half of America. Plus I'm the mother of two very active kids. I'm sure burrowing into the ground will be a piece of cake."

"Alright then," Hal said with a smile. "Then why don't you go first. What do you Americans say...Ladies first?"

"Only when the male is too sissy to act on his own," I implied and he frowned. "I mean, unmanly."

"I know what 'sissy' means, Ms. Warden. And I am not afraid."

"Then go first. You know, like a hero. Go in, scope out and be ready to catch me when I fall."

"American girls are so confusing."

"I believe the word you're looking for is bi-polar."

Hal shook his head, muttering as he tore at the grass, revealing a small hole, big enough for someone of Hal's stature to slide through. He put one foot in front of the other and instantly fell through the hole. He called out the whole way down. It must have been a short fall, because minutes later, I heard him cry out in pain.

"Are you alright?" I asked from above.

"You suck!" was his response. I couldn't stop the smile that crept onto my lips. For someone who was usually well-mannered, his reply was just priceless.

"Alright, ready to catch me?" I asked.

"After my back stops throbbing!"

"Well, I'm coming down anyway." And with that, I lowered myself into the gaping hole and lost footing. I slid down and the stench of food filled my nostrils. It wasn't your typical McDonald's. It was more of a home-y sort of smell. Spices and meat combined together...Fresh bread straight from the oven...It all reminded me of dinner with Kai. This must have been where he learned all of his cooking traits.

I landed directly in Hal's arms and he quickly set me to my feet. "Are you alright?" he asked.

"Fine, and you?"

"Still sore, but I'll live."

"I don't think that's an option," a harsh voice rang out. Hal and I flipped around and held back a gasp. We were surrounded by at least twenty armored men. They had old fashioned spears in their grasp.

"Well...this is bad," Hal growled.

"You think?" I asked, rolling my eyes.


	5. Chapter Five

**I told myself if I wanted to write a new story, I had to write more of this story. Sorry, it's a bit rushed. I will get into more action as the story goes on. Not much to report besides my fingers are wrapped up. (Nothing to major...I have a bad habit of picking my fingernails off, and I guess the pain should be a punishment. :D **

**Oh, and I'm starting a little SFPD series. Of course, all credit goes to EA for an amazing games. I might just do it for fun and probably post it on YouTube. The first episode is finished (Yay!) but it must go through some major editing. And it will be a little Sci-Fy/Horror/Fantasy. I'll give you the plot summary:**

**A deadly disease has taken over San Francisco, new parents Mal and Natara Fallon, Oscar Santos, Amy Chen, Kai Kalaba, Ken Greene and Maria Yeong are trapped in the SFPD for countless days. When Amy discovers something frightening about the disease, the group freaks out. Natara spends most of her time in her room with her daughter and Mal. Everyone else stays within the SFPD boarders. When Oscar gets the disease, will anyone be safe?"**

**It's still in the rough draft process. And the summary may change a bit. But for sure, I want Oscar to catch the unmentionable disease first. (Some say the grudge against Oscar is unhealthy...I say it's cheap therapy.**

**And wow, I have a talent of dragging on a subject. Imma end right here. :D**

* * *

><p>Chapter Five<p>

The warriors tied us both up and carried us into the town square. I wondered if this was how visitors were greeted.

"You know, some people would just say hi," I barked and the leader, a tall, brawny man with orange hair and a beard scoffed.

"Most people would leave Innocent Sanguinis alone," he growled.

"Okay, I know you guys are like, Latin-Savvy, but I'm not. What did you just say?" I asked.

"Innocent Blood, you dim-witted..."

"Hey," Hal cut in. "No one, and I mean no one makes fun of my partner while I'm around!"

"You're not helping, Hal," I grumbled.

"You're cute," the leader said with a chuckle, "we'll try to make your death faster than the girl's."

"Death?" Hal gasped. "What in Queen Elizabeth's name did we do?"

"Queen Elizabeth?" the leader asked, stopping in his tracks.

"My partner is from Britain," I informed, rolling my eyes.

"Explains the annoying accent," the leader mumbled and we continued through the town.

"My accent is not annoying! It's purely British!"

"Which gets on my nerves. Shut. Up."

"Fine, fine, have it your way, you over-weight brute."

The restraints prevented me from strangling Hal.

The men stopped walking and the leader flipped around. "What did you just call me, Pretty-Boy?"

"You're a stupid, over-weight, ugly brute," Hal argued. "Do you guys even own a shower down here?"

"Hal, listen to the guy who can squash you like a cupcake. Shut up," I warned.

"Let me handle this, Natalia," Hal growled and he looked back at the leader. "And another thing; is it normal to attack two visitors who are investigating a series of kidnappings? I mean, seriously! Can you get any stupider?"

"That's enough, Hal!"

"I've got this, Natalia."

"I would listen to your girlfriend if I were you, Pretty-Boy," the leader hissed. "Because my patience left a long time ago."

"What are you going to do; sit on me?" Hal laughed.

"That's it," the leader shouted, "take this punk and his little friend to the executioner's area. Teach them both a lesson!"

"Gosh dang it, Hal!" I shouted as we were whisked into a more secluded part of town. There were bloodstains on the cobblestone and I instantly could tell that this was where your typical gangs resided...if this cursed camp had any gangs. When I saw the glittering blade of an Executioner, I nearly passed out. Yeah, I'm a wimp when my life just so happens to be on the line.

"You upset Rufus big time, yup," a guard informed us. "No one upsets Chief Rufus!"

"The bloke's name is..." Hal began, but I cut him off.

"Hal, please, for just five minutes, shut up."

"You should have listened to the girl," the guard continued. "She's a smart one."

"Yes, everyone seems to agree on that," Hal said, sighing, "but seriously...why are they _killing_ us? We're trying to save some lives!"

The Executioner was a few feet away, a hood covering his face. I imagined a gnarled smile, an amused look in his eyes. I also imagined fangs with blood dripping down them...but I guess that wasn't reasonable.

"These two upset the chief," the guard informed the hunched over man.

Seriously, this was like some twisted fairy-tale, only this time, the heroes would have their heads chopped off.

"I think I can make do with what I have," the Executioner grumbled and the guards released us from their grip. It really was no use running. There was the Executioner with that horrific blade of his...the guards all holding spears in a circle around us. I did the only thing that I could have done. I begged.

"You don't understand! I have two children at home without a father," I cried out, trying to act as helpless as I could without causing suspicion.

"Yeah...so do most of the villagers here," the Executioner informed. "Aren't there orphanages from where you two came from?"

"Yes, but I do not want my kids to grow up there!"

"That, and we're looking for a kidnapper. My partner's uncle was just taken away and we need to find him before...you know...it's too late."

The Executioner paused. He seemed to be considering the facts in his head. "A kidnapping, you say? Well...Rufus may know a few things about some strange kidnappings."

"Yes!" Hal cried, "Yes! Each victim was a helper here!"

I nodded quickly and the guards conversed among themselves.

"She might be telling the truth..."

"I don't know...People from the upper-world usually lie to us..."

"But it could be a possibility...I wonder who was taken..."

"Was it that one Harlow girl? She was a really nice girl..."

"Or Haley...I liked Haley..."

"Those are some of the names that we've heard," Hal whispered to me.

"Which means we may just have our ticket out of this place," I replied in an equally hushed tone. I then faced the guards.

"Yes, Harlow and Haley were kidnapped along with a lot of other people," I announced. "Do you guys happen to know a Kai Kalaba?"

The guards considered this for a moment and one spoke up.

"Was he that one idiot that nearly destroyed that one lady's home?"

"Or the one that broke the town's only fountain."

"Now that you say it, I also think he lit the secondary chief's home on fire as well."

I sighed. Kai had a bad name here, of course. Didn't he almost everywhere.

"And you're his niece?" one guard asked, frowning.

"Well, sort of. He's my God-Father. I really want to find him!"

The guards muttered in hushed tones and the leader faced us. "You're not related to Kai in any way?"

"Nope."

"I think we should let them live," one spoke up and I smiled.

"Yes, that would be an excellent idea!" I piped up.

"It's not our decision, however," the leader of the guards muttered. "That's Chief Rufus's."

And Hal already screwed up that. "Maybe next time, Hal, you should be quieter," I growled and he raised an eyebrow.

"Come on, Natalia! He was threatening us! As your partner..."

"Hal..."

"What?"

"Shut up."


	6. Chapter Six

**What is this I see? It's a Haltalia update! :D Okay, to make a long story short, I have an awful cough that is preventing me from sleeping. I've already tried water and we just so happen not to have any night-time cough medicine in the entire house. (We actually have Robitussin. I'm not sure if I actually want to have that crap, though. I hate the taste. But I might consider it in a few minutes.) So, the result of this cough is chapter six of Haltalia.**

**Special thanks to MaltaraFluff647! I've never had a reviewer so excited about this story. :D So this chapter is for you! :D**

**QUICK REVIEW RESPONSE TO A bit of a nerd  
><strong>**Thanks for writing in a suggestion! I actually decided to stay away from characters that I liked, (I am okay with Sandra...but she really could have left Mal alone.) Because the woman who I used in the story divorced with Mal after having their deaf daughter. She then took their daughter because she knew sign language while Mal didn't. Still trying to work on the plot. :D  
><strong>

**As for this story in general, I really like where I left off, so I'm going to try to update as often as I can while I don't have any other story posting soon. I still have to look through my little archives before I officially decide on that, but it appears as if it'll be that way until I'm done with _Signs_.**

**Thanks for reading and enjoy the story! (Oh, and just a short little update on my life; I'm doing alright. I have that cough I mentioned, but I've also been considering co-writing. I've also been focusing A LOT on ASL so I can can get an idea for _Signs _and I've also wanted to learn a song in ASL. I am currently trying to master I'd Lie by Taylor Swift.) How are all of you doing? :D**

**Read and review? Awesome, and thanks!**

* * *

><p>As a young girl, whenever I got in trouble, I didn't really care too much. Amy was a little harsh when setting her punishments down, but Kai always stepped in and took them away. That's why I had to get him back.<p>

I knew I was in trouble and I wasn't too frightened, but I knew if I said anything wrong, stupid, or insulting, my life would end right then and there. So I made sure Hal would keep quiet.

We were thrust into a small shack, a building that stood out from the rest. Every other building was large and grand, and this shack...well it was very pathetic.

"Why is this place labeled Station?" Hal asked, quietly.

"Because," I replied, "it's how they do things here. If I were you, I would just accept it and move on."

Hal rolled his eyes in response, something he had grown fond of doing. Two guards from the legion led us to the back, where Rufus was sitting. He was polishing his knife.

"Why aren't these two dead?" he growled, looking up at us.

"Officer Crep," one guard spoke up, "this young girl is the God-Daughter of Kai Kalaba, the man who caused us great sorrow."

"Yes! But why aren't they dead?" Rufus roared, standing up and throwing his knife down. It embedded itself in the dirt floor and I swallowed heavily, deciding to let the guards fight this one out.

"Officer..."

"I specifically asked for an execution for these two idiots. Why are their heads still attached to their bodies?"

"They say they're on a mission," the other guard answered. "They said they want to save people from our helping tribe. You know, people like Harlow..."

"And Haley," the other guard added quickly.

Rufus took a moment to consider this and he smirked. "Really now? I don't suppose this is a made up story to save their lives..."

"It's...It's true, Sir," Hal spoke up, and I sent him a glare that he couldn't see. "Something bad is happening, and it's not just in our world. It could happen here too, and all we're trying to do is save everyone."

Rufus approached Hal. "Are you playin' with me, Pretty-Boy?"

"No, Sir," Hal responded. "People who have a connection to this area and our upper world are disappearing."

"And why should I believe you?" Rufus asked, closing in on Hal. You see, Hal was clever with words. In fact, he was clever in more than just words. Which would probably explain my growing understanding why woman of all kind adored being his partner. He was just that charming. But if any of his past partners saw him now, they would think he lost all of that. He was helpless and couldn't conjure up any snide remark to save us. So, I had to step in.

"Do you have any children, Sir?" I asked instantly.

Rufus gave me a glare that sent chills down my spine, but I knew the answer before he said it.

"Yeah," he replied, "a little girl and baby boy. I work night shifts just so I can make sure they have dinner on the table and so my wife can feed herself."

"Well, I have kids too. Imagine what would happen if you were suddenly taken away from your son, daughter and wife because of a kidnapping. How do you think they would respond to that?"

"They wouldn't survive," Rufus muttered. "What does this have to do with..."

"My God-Father is a father and husband. He has a daughter who needs an occasional push. He also has a timid wife. You think they're coping well with his disappearance?"

"It's none of my business..."

"But you can relate, and so can I. Is it wrong to save people from a certain fate that could affect other people's lives? Tell me, Mr. Crep, is it wrong that I love someone so much that I would put my life on the line, call up my ex to take the kids at three in the morning, and more importantly, take a beating from some refugees who might have a part in this tragedy."

"You don't get it, girl. My business is not involved with the outer world anymore. The only time I focus on the outside world is when we get trespassers like you and your partner."

I frowned. "So you're just going to chop our heads off and call it fair? Mr. Crep, how would you feel if you told your kids you'd be home from work and you were killed. Your kids are obviously your life, and I feel the same about my own."

Rufus glared at the ground for a moment and then cleared his throat. "Guards, leave me with our trespassers. I need to have a word with them."

The guards nodded in unison and released their painful grip. They exited and Rufus's tough composure crumbled slightly.

"You two have some guts," he said, smiling ever so slightly. "I've never seen officers from the upper world that only want help. Every single one has tried to bring us back to the upper world. What exactly do you two desire that would save your 'uncle' from this crisis and so many others that have tried to help us."

"We need information on each helper," Hal said quickly, almost as if anticipating the guards return. "We need to seize a second connection that will possibly lead us to the suspect."

"Did you know anyone who could possibly be against the helpers?" I asked, trying to think of the answer myself. It was nearly impossible to draw a conclusion. After all, Kai was disliked by quite a few people. I also didn't know the other victims as well, so drawing that conclusion wouldn't work.

"Well," Rufus muttered, scratching his short beard. He reminded me of a Scottish man with his reddish hair and heavy accent. His accent, however, was far from Scottish and leaned towards more of an Ireland-ish accent. "There is one woman that each helper mentioned. She trained each of them in survival in the UnderWorld, which our area is often referred to. I can't be too sure though."

"We need to know what her name might be. She could be our suspect," Hal said.

"Well...her name is Carli Collins."

_Collins._

"Aw crap," I muttered.


	7. Chapter Seven

**I am on a roll. I guess adding Carli, which wasn't part of the actual plot, was a great idea. I now have a new character to work with and another connection to add. :D I think you guys will love the continuation of this story. :) I got some awesome things planned for this story, and the two sequels that are to follow. I actually am certain that the sequels will come into play, since I have already written them down. **

**REVIEW REPLIES:  
><strong>

**-A bit of a nerd  
><strong>**Actually, now that I think about it, Amy or Sandra could be a good choice. More likely Sandra. I'm not too far into the story, so I'll add it. :D Thanks for the suggestion. :D**

**-mozzi-girl  
>Oh I just love accents. :D I think you'll like how the story ends. :) It does involve Hal's British Accent. And as for Collins, I completely agree. :D Though, I had to change the story around a bit, so the Collins Family Tree is now messed up.<br>And remember...Molly is a beast! :D**

-topyeah19  
>Well, I did nickname it Haltalia, and their story relates to Mal and Natara's...:D<p>

-MaltaraFluff647  
>I was sort of expecting that reaction. :D And thank you. I try my best on the characters and seriously love it when people point out things like that. :D Thank you!<p>

And thus, we end today's review replies. So, my wonderful dad got cough drops and I feel so much better. Still a little sick...and so is my friend, but hey, at least the cold is almost gone. It took over a week, but it's almost gone.

And is it wrong to say I haven't played this week's Now Airing at all? I mean, I like Ken, but his side story is just...boring. I respect the Marines and everything, I'm just too obsessed with finding out if this Blaise chick is going to come between Maltara. And I've been hearing a lot about one main character dying...and I hope it's not; Mal, Natara, Ken, Amy, Kai, Jacob, or Yeong. I doubt they would kill of Mal and Natara...so I really hope that if this Blaise girl is truly evil and coming between Maltara, that she is the 'Chosen One' to die. I am horrible for wishing death on a cartoon character...but nothing comes between Maltara.

**I am a bit confused on my other stories right now. I mean, I might be starting a co-writing thing, and I'm sad to say my other planned stories, (Officer Down First Down and a few other song-fics I was working on...) might be either delayed or stopped.**

**Also, I just got to Cause of Death Soundtrack and I love it. My favorite track...Frantic Chase. It's the one with the wicked electric guitar that's usually played during chase scenes. In fact, it's playing right as I type. :D I find writing CoD stories to its music so much easier. **

**I think I'll end right there. I'm going to see if I can get some Sims videos done today or even write more of this story. After all, it is Sunday and Sunday means Grandma's house. :)**

**Read and Review? Thank you!**

* * *

><p><em>Carli Collins had a fascination that was far from normal. As a little girl, she was obsessed with robotics. Her sister, the infamous Genevieve Collins, always poked fun at her, but Carli also saw Genevieve's obsession; death. When they were separated at a young age, Carli moved on to graduate, but not as a scientists, her major dream. She never knew what her sister had been up to.<em>

_Carli was around 25 when she quit her job as a lawyer and went into Scientology. She spent countless nights fiddling with robotic contraptions that she had spent the previous day working on. They were marvelous, just not satisfying. Carli grew upset over this and craved to be a robot herself. She vowed to make the perfect robot. _

_Days of non-stop working replaced her normal cycle. Potions mixed with potions, concoctions brewed in corners, and the one day when the small vial was filled with a mysterious liquid was the day Carli rejoiced. In celebration, she drank the liquid. A strange thing happened that night and Miss Collins was never seen again. No reports of her body whatsoever._

I knew the story of Carli Collins. Kai mentioned her a lot. Apparently, she wasn't dead because she trained people. However, she was in hiding and only the refugee helpers knew exactly where she was. Kai never told me the location.

"Carli Collins," Hal muttered, "where have I heard that name before."

"She was a lawyer," I said, "and a scientist. She liked robots and tried an experiment that is said to end her life. But she isn't dead, I know she isn't. She was Kai's mentor."

Rufus nodded shortly. "Yeah, she used to visit when the Hunt rolled around each year."

"Hunt?" I asked and Rufus sighed.

"According to outside resources, the area which us refugees escaped from still plays this game. They call it the Hunt. Do you remember that Orville Case back in San Francisco?" he asked.

I nodded. "Of course. My parents were the leading detectives. They're committing a copy-cat case?"

"It seems like it," Rufus replied grimly. "Some of us survive and we come to this hide out, or we wait for someone to help us out. We're a pack. But back to Collins, she always came during the Hunt to gather remaining bodies, help out the survivors, and she would bring her little crew with her.

"So that means Carli is our main suspect," Hal concluded.

"Or she could be our next victim. After all, she's the brains behind helping the refugees. Why would she kidnap her workers?" I asked, still trying to rack my brains for the answer. This wasn't as easy as I thought it would be. However, I could tell the answer was here, just undercover.

"Do you happen to know where Carli's lair is?" Hal asked Rufus who shrugged.

"I'm only a victim, Pretty-Boy. I was never a worker under her."

"Would you stop calling me that?" Hal asked, obviously annoyed. "I am not a Pretty-Boy..."

"Let's face it Hal," I said, smiling slightly, "with your good-looks and charm, you kind of are one."

Hal smiled back and for a moment, that's how we stayed...smiling. Rufus slammed the table to get our attention and he succeeded. Hal and I jumped and looked back towards him.

"The case, kids, the case," he said. "Now, who would you think in their right mind would kidnap a bunch of helpers to refugees. I can only think of one person."

"Your captor," Hal responded. "But that wouldn't make sense. Obviously, the only connection is Carli."

"But I'm still saying Carli cannot be our suspect," I argued.

"Give me proof, Agent Warden, that Carli Collins cannot be our suspect," Hal argued back.

"It's simple, she's the master, I guess you could say, of the whole organization. It's like saying Chief Spencer would kidnap us for helping citizens of Miami. Does that not sound wrong to you?"

"I believe that Chief Spencer does not mean to cause harm. However, Carli Collins is the sister to Genevieve...at least, that's what I've heard. Genevieve had issues and it obviously must run in the family."

"Not true," I muttered. "Think of this...My husband had siblings. They seemed normal and happy. He, however, was selfish, a jerk in every way. His siblings weren't that way. Personality disorders do not technically run in the family. Carli may just be the opposite of her sister."

"Genevieve had psychological disorders though. Something was wrong in her head. She loved watching death, and that seems like a personality disorder?"

"Why would Carli, first of all, be helping the refugees if she liked watching death?"

We were silent for a moment as we went over our poorly placed argument. Hal seemed a little more tense than normal. His brow was furrowed in confusion, but mainly anger. From what I have learned in the past, he must have known Carli. Then again, he could be upset over the loss of all these innocent, kind people. His expression was hard to cipher.

"Rufus," he finally said. "There's something you're not telling us...About Carli."

Rufus frowned. "I told you all I knew, Agent."

"But it doesn't make sense. I still believe that Carli is the kidnapper. Did the refugees tick her off in a way?"

"We didn't tick her off," Rufus muttered. "She ticked us off."

"And you're telling us this...now?" I asked.

Rufus shrugged. "I still don't trust you two. But you seem like you need to get the job done. You see, Carli is generous. She organized the group just so she could help us all out. However, she's gotten very sick over the last few years. Her passion of robotics grew stronger as she grew weaker. She knew if she invented the perfect 'bot, she could save herself from death."

"I don't see the point in any of this," Hal muttered and Rufus waved his hand towards him.

"Shut it! That was only part of the main problem. She began performing her...Witchcraft, I guess you could call it. She made potions after potions of this new medicine. She tried to get us to test it, because she said our lives were more valuable than hers. I didn't like the idea of my people drinking some strange drink. We've been through so much...A potion wouldn't help."

"So she's blocking all help from coming to the refugees," Hal said, and looked towards me. "Point proven."

"Hey Hal, you know those two words I seem to be saying a lot today?" I asked, obviously annoyed. I hated it when people proved me wrong.

"Shut up?"

"Yes. It would be wise to apply it." I retorted.

"Do you two do this a lot?" Rufus asked, amused by our little banter.

"Well, I was just guessing it was _that _time of the month," Hal replied and Rufus chuckled as I grabbed the closest book from a conveniently placed table and tossed it towards Hal. And let's just say, Hal wasn't fast enough.


	8. Chapter Eight

**So, the cause celebre I will focus on will be addressed in a moment. I must reply to some reviews. :D**

**-topyeah19  
><strong>**Ooh, did you see the Volume Eight preview! So good. I'll talk about it in a second, so stay tuned. :) (Thanks for the reply.)**

**-mozzi-girl  
>You are spoiled indeed. :) <strong>

**And I am very intrigued about Miss Carli Collins as well. I still don't know how her character is going to play out, but I can tell you...it'll be great!**

**And you say that now? Haha, awesome! :D Thanks for the reply!**

**Alright, everyone, I have a few topics to discuss before we dive into Haltalia. First, I must, must, must talk about the Volume Eight Preview. Now I understand some of you are ON DEMAND buyers, but I am a NOW AIRING buyer, so I'm a week behind...but then I go on Facebook and catch up to everyone.**

**Ok, so, Volume Eight Preview: Adorable, frightening, and intense. I am actually confused as to who is going to die, but I have a feeling it won't be Mal or Natara. More likely Blaise or Yeong and maybe Mal might take over the station _if _Yeong is killed. That would be interesting in my opinion. Also, there was one line in the preview and I was confused. Here it is:**

_**-In a lush, outdoor cabana, Mal approaches Natara and runs a hand along her cheek...-**_

**Mal Fallon: **I love her. I always have.

**I got chills, but I was also concerned. Who is Mal talking about? I think he's referring to Natara, but a small, neglected part of my mind is whispering Blaise. But then again, it could be a voice over. Why would Mal be stroking Natara's cheek, anyway? I really want the entire volume to be released so all of the questions can be answered. **

**Then there's this scene:**

_**-Amy stands in the crime lab, looking surprised...-**_

**Amy Chen: **You mean go out? Together? Like on a date?

**...What do you think? I am torn between Kai and Ken on this one. Poor Amy. One last line that really just set me on edge...**

_**-A young woman runs through an alley late at night and bumps right into a man. She looks up at him...-**_

**Voice**: I'm not going to hurt you...

_**-Man steps out of the shadows...-**_

**Maskmaker: **I'm going to show the world your true face.

**What. The. Heck. That's all I have to say about this one.**

**Anywho, I really liked the Valentines Special, mostly the Comic-Con one. That made me giggle uncontrollably. The other one, forgot its name, was the first time I got mad at Kai. He, who hints to be a Maltara Shipper, walks in on one of the most intense moments. And when Bruce said that Mal and Natara are hopes of true love...Well, who could argue with that? I loved the creepy old man for a second.**

**One last quick announcement. I'm thinking of posting a trailer for The Three Princesses Sequel, which will be called The Three Warriors. I'm considering a video, or maybe just a story about it. I'm not sure.**

**And as for videos, I decided to abandon the whole 'Cinderella' idea and move to a...more in the moment topic. Since Blaise is a new part of the team, might as well make a video of her, Mal and Natara using one of my favorite T-Swift songs...Better Than Revenge. :D I still have to write down the script for it, but I really like the idea so far. **

**Thank you for reading! Review? You're all awesome!**

* * *

><p>Rufus lead Hal and I to a different entrance than the one we came through. Hal was holding a bag of ice to his head, muttering curses under his breath. I honestly didn't mean to throw the book at him <em>that <em>hard. He was really ticking me off though and it was in the heat of the moment. Rufus wouldn't stop snickering about it for the first few minutes, and when Hal threatened to punch his teeth in, Rufus finally quit.

"Look Hal," I said after a short silence. "I'm sorry."

"You should have thought before you threw," Hal growled and fumbled with the ice, accidentally dropping it on the floor. "Bloody...! Look what you did, Natalia!"

"My doing?" I asked, "Hal, you're the idiot who dropped it."

"I wouldn't have dropped it if you didn't throw the book at me," Hal hissed, snatching the bag from the ground and throwing it in the nearest trash can.

"You two are like little kids," Rufus called over his shoulder. "How did you even get hired?"

"I happen to be the most famous agent in the United States and in Britain!" Hal protested.

"So...you're James Bond, huh?" Rufus asked with a smirk.

"James Bond is a fictional character! Besides, I am much smarter than him, and might I add, better-looking."

"Yeah, but James Bond didn't talk nonsense." I muttered and Hal shot me a glare.

"You're making fun of my accent, aren't you? I thought American girls _adored _British accents!"

"Hal, seriously, shut up," I responded and walked a little faster, but he kept in sync with my pace.

"Are you making fun of me?" he asked.

I grumbled under my breath and looked towards the ground. "I wasn't making fun of your accent. It's your stupidity."

"You two do know you're going to have to walk alone once we approach the exit. I'm not sure if I can trust you two alone," Rufus informed.

We were silenced by this. No, we didn't know that. We thought Rufus would be our guide the whole way. I kept walking, slowing down a bit, yet Hal still stayed by my side.

_We're partners. This is just a minor setback, _I thought. _Plus I care too much about Hal to fight this long...What are you talking about, Nat! You've only known him for...How many days? Surely not a week. I wonder if this is what Dad thought when he met Mom; Protection. I miss them so much._

I didn't notice I was crying softly, but Hal did and he stopped and grabbed my shoulders. "Natalia...I didn't know I hurt your feelings this bad. I am so, so, sorry!"

I was jogged back into reality and gathered myself. "What...Oh, Hal," I said and sighed. "Listen, it was nothing you said. I'm just...Remembering the past."

I thought he was going to disagree, but the way he bit his lip, I knew he had pure empathy.

Our trek to the entrance ended shorty after. Rufus bid us farewell and even asked us to come back if the Hunt ever started again. He disappeared into the shadows and Hal and I were left alone for the first time in awhile. It was more than just awkward.

We walked for a couple more hours, embracing the silence. When the time to set up camp came, we were more than happy to end the night by sleeping under the stars. Our only problem; we had no shelter. I remembered a story my parents had shared; They were younger and working on a case of a missing family friend. My dad was never a man of survival, while on the other hand, that was one of my mother's strengths. She did all the work while my father tried his best. In the end, they survived the night and found their killer...And ran into an annoying owl.

I didn't inherit my mother's survival skills, and I knew it. I once went on a camping trip with Amy, Kai, and Carly. I ended up in a cast because I had no sense of direction whatsoever. I tripped and fell down the side of a small cliff. That's when our camping trips stopped.

I was glad Hal knew what to do in situations like this. He commanded me to get the supplies we needed while he built a small shelter. Curse me, but I thought he looked so much hotter without his suit jacket as he intertwined branches together. It was awesome.

When sleep came around, Hal made me get some rest while he took first watch. I could tell he was still upset about something as he kept rubbing his ring finger. It was unoccupied, however; no ring of any kind.

I had this on my mind as I drifted off and fell into a dream I could have lived without.


	9. Chapter Nine

**Rushed, illiterate...crap? I don't know. I was way out of ideas on this chapter and nearing the edge of the tree limb on this. I'm getting to a little more...serious part? I think you'll either like the turn-out or rip out my guts. :)**

**REVIEW REPLIES:**

**-mozzi-girl  
>Your reviews always make me giggle. And yes, I had to include the accent bit mostly for my amusement. I adore Hal's accent. :D And about including the story...why wouldn't I? Haha, it's one of my favorite Love and Bullets story...under The Veritox Incident, though. Mostly because they ALMOST kiss. Dang it, DARPA. Ooh, I think you'll like this chapter then. The next one, we get to see more of Collins and her back-story. And we also get to meet a well-loved character. :D Thanks for the review!<strong>

**-But I Have Promises To Keep  
>Oh, I don't want them going undercover AGAIN! It's annoying because they act like it's nothing and they don't really mention it ever again. Seriously, EA...But then again, I like waiting for Maltara to happen. All the girls that come in and seduce Mal and all the men that come in and flirt with Natara, it's very amusing to see it all go down and have the other get jealous. And I agree with you, there might be a but coming on in that sentence. :) Let's just hope for the best and Maltara all the way. :D<strong>

**-A bit of a nerd**  
><strong>Okay, I know this is completely random, and forgive me. I'll get to the actual review in a minute. But I saw Malika in my Math Textbook today and literally, that made my entire day! :D It's just like when they used Natalia in the textbook and I was grinning like mad and my teacher was confused. Little things make my day. :)<strong>

**ANYWAY! I sort of agree with you. I mean, I guess I was more okay with Mal being with Tasha...counting she's dead, but the Maltara relationship wasn't as built up then. Now...If Mal does sleep with Blaise, I might throw a small fit and create a new dent in my locker. (Matching the one Metaphorical Blaise caused...) But seriously, it is getting a little tedious. I honestly find myself only playing the volume because of Maltara. That's why I didn't really play Ken's Side Story. And as for Officer Down, First Down, I'm still constructing it and writing down ideas, but I'm also constructing another Sims Maltara Video which should be out very soon after I set up a small script. :D Thanks!**

**-Youwillneverknowmeever**  
><strong>Interesting name, by the way. :D And thanks for the review. Attempt at humor was an obvious success. :D<strong>

**-SVUProductions**

**(By the way, my friend and I watched an episode of Bones after watching Woman in Black on Saturday. It was the one where Booth and Brennen ((sp?)) are stuck in the elevator and that deadly disease is going to be released into the streets. I only watched some of it, but guess who's interested. :D)  
>Anyway, thanks for the review. And I seriously can't wait for Volume Eight. Good thing the week's almost over. :)<strong>

**-MaltaraFluff647**  
><strong>Haha! The Carli comment made me giggle. Might I remind you that Carli is around 70, maybe, and Hal is at the wonderful age of the late 20's. But he is married, I'll give you that. Kind of sets Haltalia back a little. :\<strong>

**And about Maltara Fluff, I just noticed that. Not too many funny moments between the two, unless you count the Valentines Special. That had plenty of Maltara in it, but not enough to suit the needs of all of us Maltara Zombies. I just hope this doesn't last long. I love it when they have their cute little arguments and when they do the little things like have each other's back. But I have a feeling that EA is foreshadowing all of this. After all, they had that crazy old dude mention their 'love'. Kai thinks they would be a good couple, people know how to hit Mal's buttons, mainly by threatening Natara. He is all-too protective of her, especially that intense chapter when she was poisoned...That's Love.**

**Fingers crossed!**

**Alright, reviews are done for today. Obviously, like stated in the first sentence, I don't like this chapter as much as I imagined it to be. I mean, I really like how it ends, and how it leads into the next chapter. So, yeah, criticism is accepted, I just might not reply because this is one of my...not doing so well, chapters.**

**And a quick little update...I'm working a lot now, lately. I have tons of homework, plus, my friend LOVES to hang out over the week, which I can't really handle, but c'est la vie. I freakin love her, so Math grades can go into the toilet for all I care. As for a little Orange Tie, Plastic Killer update...Orange Tie and I played Life today. Let's say, we had an interesting conversation about babies being born in car trunks and forgetting to feed the wife, who also is in the car trunk. Aw, man, I freakin love this kid. :D Well, actually, it was mostly my Miguel actor talking. (He might not be in the movie, but thankfully *rolls eyes* my little brother said he would do it, and maybe even Eric too.) But I still got to play Life with Metaphorical Mal! :D**

**Plastic Killer deserves a medal. I'm dead serious. I was having a horrible Valentines Day yesterday...which I swear is actually called, 'Everyone Forget Shelby Exists and Act Like You Don't Care' Day. My friends were by my side, but Plastic Killer was the kindest. We were getting ready for a black-light marshmallow shooting game and I was upset. He looked at me for one second and said, "Shelby, do you need a hug?" You know how long I've been waiting for a guy to say that? AND ON VALENTINES DAY! Yeah, my heart sank. :D So, of course I accepted the hug. We were on the same team too, as well as Orange Tie, and we hid behind a table like real commandos, shooting at the opposing team. (I accidentally swallowed a marshmallow or two, but when you're with your best guy friend and crush behind a table shooting people with marshmallows, you could honestly care less.) I know for a fact that I am going to miss Valentines from here on out because Plastic Killer and Orange Tie will be at a different school...and I'll be with my friend and her hot friend. Smh.**

**I vented again. I always do that. Anyway...read and review? Thanks!**

**And in the wise words of YouTube Star, Glozell..."Peace an' Blessings, ya'll. Peace an' blessings."**

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><p><em>Kai was lying in the corner of a jail cell. His eyes were red from either exhaustion or crying...I couldn't tell. He looked horrible. His cheeks were sunken in, and for some reason, he constantly hid his left arm. I tried to call out to him, but a shadow over-lapped his body.<em>

"_Are you ready to start testing again, Mr. Kalaba?" a harsh voice asked. It sounded a lot like an old woman's voice; hoarse and high. _

"_Never," Kai spat. "You can take everything from me, Collins, but I will never give into your games."_

"_Funny," the voice replied, "you were never this way in San Francisco. You're pathetic! Idiotic, I might add."_

"_A few years can change a man, Collins. We took down your sister, what makes you think we can't take down you?"_

_The shadow raised it's arm and instantly, I saw the faux pas. It was a robotic limb. I gasped and reached out for Kai, calling his name, but my cries were silenced._

"_Do you want another piece of metal to add to your body, Mr. Kalaba?" she hissed and Kai glared at her. _

That's how my dream ended. Hal was shaking my shoulders, trying to get me to wake up. "Natalia," he said when I finally opened my eyes. "Natalia, are you alright?"

_No,_ was my truthful response, but after yesterday, I didn't want Hal worrying. "Yeah...yeah," I replied, rubbing my eyes. "I'm...I'm just..."

"Anxious to find Kai?" he asked softly. I looked into his eyes and saw a replica of hurt. Did he have a personal connection in this case as well?

"How..."

"You were calling his name. I know it's not polite to snoop, but you were really worried and scared. Can I do anything for you?" he asked, his voice on the edge of trembling.

"Um...not that I can think of. Guide us to Collins's lair and that will be enough."

Hal held back another emotion; something's going on. I kept my suspicions as we set off for the morning, getting closer to a city. The rotten stench of gas filled the air and Hal and I both had the same reaction.

"Pollution," I muttered and Hal shook his head.

"Unfortunately, Collins's lair is only filled with that," he replied. I didn't think about how he knew this. I was only focused on why he was getting more jumpy each step we took closer to her lair. I also kept eying his jacket sleeve, something he had been fiddling with along with his ring finger. He kept whispering a girl's name... "Sarah". Girlfriend, perhaps?

"Hal," I said, breaking yet another odd silence. "I have a question for you."

"Ask away," he replied dully.

"Do you have a special someone in your life?"

The question surprised him. "You're not asking for a relationship, are you?" he asked quickly. "Because I am married."

"Really?" I asked, just as shocked as he sounded. He seemed like a single man, always charming the ladies and constantly hanging around me.

"Yeah...We've been together for a month now. She's the light of my life. I don't wear a ring to protect her. But..."

He stopped in his tracks and looked around. His expression hardened. "We're here," he muttered and looked at the sky just as a low rumbling filled the air. What the hell was going on?

"Natalia," he said, "it's a bomber plane. We need to find cover and QUICK!"

I didn't think twice. Hal and I dove behind a tree just as a bomb dropped. These bombs weren't meant for explosions, nor tear gas. No, they were Drop Cover bombs, something I've only read about in books. Drop Cover Bombs left a black haze, making it impossible for the prey...Or hunted to be seen. It makes a person completely oblivious to the events around them. I felt Hal pull me close so we wouldn't stray. I thought this was an act of protection...Kindness even. I was wrong; so wrong.

"Hal, what's going on?" I asked, hoping he'd know the answer.

He didn't reply with what I hoped. "She knows we're here."

"She knows?" I asked. "Hal, what's..."

"This is too early...why is she here now?"

I was creeped out at this point. "Hal, what's going on?"

He said the girl's name again and glanced at the sky. The haze was clearing now, but I still couldn't see around me. Hal still held his grip, but it was uncomfortable. He was starting to get a little aggressive, which frightened me. Horrible memories of Sean flooded into my mind and I tried to pull back. Big Mistake.

I felt my abdomen explode in pain. My knees had given up, but Hal still held me. When the haze was clearer, I saw what had happened. Hal held a knife in his hand. My heart stopped. I couldn't begin to think that he was a killer. Not Hal! He was too sweet...charming...innocent. I winced as he slowly set me down. It all clicked. This was planned. Hal was her minion.

"I'm so, so, so sorry," he whispered into my hear as my head made contact with the dirt floor. "I never wanted to do this. But it was to save Sarah. I have to save her."

"Hal..." I muttered, but he hushed me.

"Talking will only increase the pain, Nat. Please, forgive me. I just can't let Sarah die."

He stood up straight and the next thing I knew, a rough-looking body guard was standing above me. In my head, I threw every curse word I knew at Hal. And that's when another thing hit me. It made my heart shatter; I was dying.


	10. Chapter Ten

**Hola amigos! So, I have homework to do, and I thought I should update before I actually do anything productive. So, here we go.**

**REVIEW REPLIES:**

**-Barely a Brunette**  
><strong>Totally. I'm on a roll here. And thanks for the review!<strong>

**-topyeah19**  
><strong>Heh, told a few people they would be surprised. :D Thanks for the review. :D<strong>

**-mozzi-girl**  
><strong>Totally. And I actually thought of this twist myself. I'm so proud. :D I also thank you for the comment on interesting plots. And about Hal...*shrug* if he's relating to Mal in a way...then you decide. ;D That, and this chapter will answer that.<strong>

**Ooh, I was so excited, squealing even. They're inches away and I tap the screen, fan-girling like heck, and then...DARPA...I was soooooo peeved off. That whole week I couldn't stop talking about it, so, my friends abandoned me to have me cool down a bit. I'm better now, but still...**

**Thanks for the review! **

**-A bit of a nerd**  
><strong>I always love hearing from you! And yeah, I am starting to consider that, but then again...I can't put down my iPod half of the time. :) And everyone keeps talking about tumblr. I feel totally out of it. What is it?<strong>

**That's it for the reviews today. Anyway, before you read, I want to share a rather odd experience.**

**I was reading in my history/social studies test book when I saw a familiar name. Mikhail. Russian dude from Volume 2...Ring any bells? I've been having C.O.D coincidences all day, and that was probably the highlight. **

**That's enough from me. I need to work on my homework now.**

**Before I leave, though, I want to announce that I am working on A bit of a nerd's video request and I will be starting But I Have Promises To Keep's video next. (I already know what I'm going to do. I think you'll like it.) Just oughta let ya'll know.**

**Read and Review? Thanks for reading!**

* * *

><p>I knew I was on a plane for a couple of minutes, but the rest of my senses were dulled. The brute who stood over me...No, not Hal...had bandaged up my side to keep me from bleeding out. How nice. At least he didn't stab me...<p>

Okay, I understand the power of true love. It makes you do crazy stuff, and while it was totally unacceptable for Hal to stab me, he was doing it to save 'Sarah', who I guessed was his wife. Unless she was cheating on him...Like he did to me. Jerk.

I'm over-reacting once more. You see, I thought I could trust Hal, but apparently, I'm like a monkey when it comes to trust. I mean, look at my first husband...my choice in friends...my chief's choice in partners. Honestly, I wished my parents were still alive. They would be able to set me straight.

When the plane ride stopped, I was taken into a dark...Prison, I want to say. It was all cement with metal bars separating each cell. Who knew a girl in a wheelchair with health conditions could capture this many people.

"...by her uncle...family reunion...death..." was what I heard from Hal as the guard carried me along. I wanted so much to call him names, to kick him where it counts...to call Nick on him...but I was imprisoned before I managed to utter a word.

Next thing I knew, I was ambushed by a friendly man. I couldn't see straight, but I knew who this was.

"Kai?" I asked and he smiled.

"Natalia! You're okay," he said and tried to hug me, but I cried out. "Scratch that. Nat, what happened?"

"False trust," I growled. "My partner turned on me."

Kai frowned. "Where is he, I'll..." he made a fist and that's when I stopped him.

"Kai...what happened to your hand?"

Apparently, this was a touchy subject. He refrained from hiding it, seeing as the damage was already done. He flexed his metallic arm and it squeaked feebly. "Carli Collins..." he replied coldly. "She's pure evil now, Nat. Just like her sister."

"Apparently, she abducted Hal's wife and in order to save her, he had to turn me in," I muttered and sighed heavily.

"Your mother had the same trait going for her," Kai grumbled. "We even had to take her off the case. She was upset, almost beat your father up for it, but it was for a good cause. Genevieve killed that day, and in the end, took her own life. But the thing was, Genevieve wanted your mom to be a killer, her right-hand woman. And now...Genevieve's sister wants you for some reason."

"I really wish Mom and Dad were alive," I growled, "because obviously, they know more than me about crazy old women."

**Hal's .**

I walked beside the guard. I still couldn't believe what I had done, the bloody knife still in my hand. Why couldn't I let go of it? It was like a part of me. _No, _I thought angrily. _You are not going down that road again! You're not a killer! Nat's still alive and that's all that matters. And I'm getting Sarah back! That's even better. You still win, Hal._

I was pushed into a darker room filled with computers, testing tubes, etc...All of which resembled a normal crime lab. A wheelchair was in the middle, however, and the person in it was making potions and such, laughing with glee each time a puff of smoke came out. Now I'm not one to judge, but I think she was getting high.

"Ms. Collins," the guard grunted. The woman in the chair stopped playing around and flipped to meet our gaze. I had seen her before, but each time I saw her, I thought of Genevieve.

"Hal! My sweet, sweet accomplice," she said, her voice feeble and high.

"I'm not your accomplice," I barked in my normal accent; American. Yes, the whole British Accent was a scam to make my story more believable. However, I've been using the accent for nearly ten years now, so I wasn't only lying to Natalia. "Where's Sarah?"

"Who?" the old woman asked, smirking slightly.

"My wife," I growled, clenching my fists.

"Ah, _her_."

"What did you do to Sarah!" I instantly accused, lunging towards her, but the guard pulled me back. I squirmed in his arms, ready to kill if I needed to. After all, the blade was still in my grip.

"Hal, Hal, Hal," Carli sighed, smiling, "you're so naïve. Do you think that I would actually _keep _my promise? I'm evil. I'm the bad guy."

"Tell me what happened to my wife!" I hissed, my squirming decreased. "Please, just tell me she's okay. I don't care if I have to die, just let her live."

"Juan, take our little star agent to the morgue," Carli instructed.

"Morgue?" I gasped. "No! You sick bi..."

"Now, now, Agent Talon. Cursing in my lair is prohibited," she said, and she followed us to a colder, darker, more painful room. A man who looked pained, desperate, and ready to welcome death, looked up at us from his desk. "Hello, Ms. Collins," he greeted gravely. "What can I do for you today?"

"Is Mrs. Talon ready for burial?" Carli asked.

"Yes, Ma'am. She's in the fifth cart on row 2A. Have a good day."

Carli nodded and wheeled past rows and rows of coffins. I didn't like this one bit. This area was too eerie, too...depressing.

"Aha! Here we go," Carli called and the guard rolled out the body. My heart collapsed of all hope. There, in her favorite dress, with her golden curly hair, red lipstick, and faint smile, was my Sarah. I fell to my knees, the knife clattering to the floor.

"You killed her?" I asked, ignoring the tears streaming down my cheeks. "You killed Sarah?"

"I had to," Carli grumbled, "she wouldn't take the concoction."

"You promised me you wouldn't hurt her," I hissed, the adrenaline now coming to play. I retrieved my knife and stood up quickly. "You promised."

"Promises are made to be broken, Hal," she whispered. Before I could even swing, I was forced into a headlock, amusing Carli. "Juan, take him to the cells. I'm sure Natalia would love to see him again."

No...If it was anything I didn't want to do right now, it was see Natalia. Even if she was incapacitated, that wouldn't hold her back from doing...Unmentionable things.


	11. Chapter Eleven

**Not feeling my best about this chapter. But I can say that this story is nearing an end. **

**REVIEW REPLIES:**

**-But I Have Promises To Keep**  
><strong>Hiya! And thanks for the review. Yeah, I tried to stay away from sci-fy, but this was how the story was originally made. And Maze Runner...I've heard a lot about that series. And no problem. I enjoy making videos, especially if it involves Maltara. And the 'Fix-You' song gave me a...let's use the word unique...idea. And I sort of understand where you're coming from. I like learning about computers and such, but unless I have instructions, I'm totally helpless. I took a while learning about this site as well. Most of it was gathering courage, but it seems like I've got <em>that<em> down.**

**-Barely a Brunette**  
><strong>Oh my goodness, your review made me giggle. Thank you!<strong>

**-SVUProductions**  
><strong>Thank you! And if I could just get permission from my parents to watch it...I'd be good. I'm looking forward to reading your fan-fics.<strong>

**-A bit of a nerd**  
><strong>Ah! I think I might enjoy that. Tumblr here I come!<strong>  
><strong>And your request was just a love song to Maltara. So, I decided to use Better Than Revenge, by Taylor Swift because of the new Blaise Controversy. :)<strong>

**-mozzi-girl**  
><strong>(BTW, saw your story! When I get some spare time, I'll read it!)<strong>  
><strong>Thanks for the review, first of all. And let me just say, I love confusion. :D<strong>

**Anyways, I thought you would like that part. :) I thank my friend for that.**

**And each time they're about to kiss or say something important, they're always interrupted. *shakes head*. But really, I think they'll get together...if they don't die, first. Not to input any negative feelings. :)**

**Ok! And that's it for today. So it's one in the morning...not feeling good...I am beginning film practice again tomorrow, but this time, Mal can't come and neither can my bodyguard. However, I asked Plastic Fork to be in the movie and he's actually considering it. I've asked my friend to film it and maybe, if we get good footage, I'll post the vid on YouTube. (My channel is Skyrules177) **

**That's about it for this chapter. Not really feeling like ranting about anything...I'm still concerned about who is going to die in Volume eight, but we really won't know for another two months, technically. Which seems like an awfully long ways away. Considering that's April and May comes after, and May usually signifies the end of the school year. End of the school year equals leaving school and never seeing any of my friends again...Okay, mega-depressed. Dang, I always do that.**

**Oh! And just a random question; Who is going to see the Hunger Games movie? I probably might with my mom for her birthday, since it comes out the day before. :)**

**Read and review? Thank you!**

* * *

><p><strong>Natalia's P.O.V<strong>

I was half conscious when the _traitor_ came back. Amusingly enough, he was forced to go into our cell. Not to mention, Kai and I did share the cell with a young girl and her brother. Thinking Kai was some sort of sex offender, they kept their distance. They also kept their distance from me, but mainly because I was bleeding, spoke my mind, and passed out a couple of times. Yeah, I pretty much scarred them.

"You four have got a new cell mate," the guard muttered. I didn't want to look at first, mostly because I thought it was another depressed cyborg. When my vision cleared enough for me to see Hal, beaten, broken, and..._crying? _I decided to hold my ground.

"No," I said, wincing at my sudden call. Kai squeezed my hand, trying to get me to shut up, but I didn't pay attention to him. "I don't want to share a cell with him!"

"Master's orders," the guard retorted and shoved Hal into the cell. It didn't help that he tripped over my feet, causing another, painful sudden movement. I cried out this time.

"You idiot," Kai said, instantly catching on to who Hal really was. "You think you can hurt my God-Daughter and get away with this? Do you?"

"Calm down!" Hal called, and I raised an eyebrow. _His accent._ It was gone. He lied to me about that too.

"I will not calm down! Natalia is bleeding out because of something _you _did! I've lost my best friends because of a man like you and I do not want to lose their daughter as well." Kai stepped up to Hal and forced him against the wall. The siblings cried out and covered their ears, now thinking that Kai was a thug. He always set names for himself, and not in the good way.

"Nat, call off your uncle!"

"No," I coughed. "You don't deserve to be treated with respect, you lying, thieving..."

"Sarah is dead, Natalia! They killed her!"

I stopped talking. What was I suddenly feeling? So, let's recap, Hal pretends to be a British Stud, cracking jokes and building a bond with me. After we endure some crap, he tells me about his wife, his most prized possession. After telling me this, he stabs me and turns me in to some psycho old lady. Yet, when his wife is killed, _I'm the one feeling guilty._

Honestly.

"Kai, stop hurting him," I say quickly. "And help me sit up. I need to talk to Hal."

Kai released his death grip on Hal and gave him a glare, before coming to my side and aiding me. As soon as I was up against the wall, Hal sat across from me.

"I should have never turned you in, Natalia," he said, shaking his head.

"Shush," I mutter and sigh. "Hal, what you did...It was unthinkable...Horrible. I may never see my kids again because I am slowly dying out."

"Collins won't let you die," he informed. "You're a pawn, Nat."

"But when I say I won't work for her, she won't fix...The wound."

It got awkward. I saw the guilt in Hal's eyes. It was unbearable for him, I could tell.

"We just got to..." I winced in pain, clenching my teeth, the pain so intense, my vision was blurring. When it passed, I was sweating, breathing heavily, and forcing myself to lie back down. Kai was holding my hand again.

"You okay, Nat?" he asked, giving my hand a quick squeeze.

"Y-yeah," I replied. "I...I think so. It really hurts."

"You know, you're not making me feel any better," Hal murmured. "My wife is dead, and now my only friend..."

"Who said we were friends," I snapped back. "Friends don't turn other friends in."

"I am sorry!"

"Sorry doesn't just cut it, Hal!"

While in the midst of our new found argument, I didn't notice the squeak of rusted wheels approach my cell. I also didn't see the glint of metal or the knife that was used to harm me. All I knew as of that moment, was that I needed to beat Hal in this argument. I wasn't thinking about my life, my kids, or even Kai as I threw insults at Hal and he retorted back cleverly.


	12. Chapter Twelve

**Okay, everyone. I'm sorry this took awhile to come out. I'm not proud of this chapter, but I really want to finish this story so I can continue on other stories.**

**REVIEW REPLIES:**

**-mozzi-girl  
><strong>**Thank you for the review. And I'm glad you found that creepy. :D**

**-topyeah1-  
><strong>**Hal? And you'll just have to see. I have some...plans...with them. :)**

**-But I Have Promises To Keep  
>Tada! Update! :D Thanks for the review.<strong>

**-MaltaraFluff647  
><strong>**Haha! Love the reaction. :D And don't worry, I understood Stalker-ish. Darn you, AutoCorrect! And it's fine. Haha! I love talking about my friends. I didn't get to meet with my wonderful Mal actor (Orange Tie) and Plastic Killer is still considering the _job _offer. :D I'll try to add more about them. :)**

**That's it for reviews. Again, hacked into Grandma's internet and had to hide most of the time. Plus, the little kids could not stop glaring over my shoulder and reading everything I wrote...Because the concept of a laptop excites them and they will do anything to play Sims. (But when that side of the family is Strictly Mormon, which means does not listen, watch, or do anything that contains profanity or cursing, and I just so happen to be a Rebellious Mormon, which means I could give a crap about all that stuff...Heads will roll.)**

**But anyway...couldn't add any sensual, exciting, scenes in this...Not that there was any before...:) Since there isn't any school tomorrow, I might post more. As long as this story ends before the week is done, I'm good.**

**Also, I told you guys I was doing another movie practice. So far, only three people, four if you want to include me in the equation, showed up on Saturday. We read through the script, (got their reaction on tape as to who the Maskmaker was...Surprised my Amy actress because she said she was actually beginning to like Eric.) It was actually quite fun. I read Mal's part, something I've really grown fond of doing. After all, I'm playing the Realtor that Mal and Natara meet when they investigate the houses on Pacific Heights. (A.K.A, the baby scene where Maltara gushes about their upcoming bundle of joy. :) ) I also play the remix of Lance Boggs, which I renamed Kiristen Boggs, who is just as creepy. Then I play Genevieve Collins at the ending scene. (I re-vamped that scene a bit. Instead of Mikhail talking, Genevieve is talking. But Mikhail (Orange Tie's brother...Which I renamed him Spiky Hair, because he and Orange Tie switched hairstyles and he looks AMAZING with Spiky Hair instead of flat hair.) is still in the scene, but as my bodyguard instead of actually talking. He has one line though...'Is Everything Under Control?' That's not the only role he plays though. I tried to get him to play a lot of roles because his brother is Mal and will have to come to every practice.**

**I love how I go on and on about Orange Tie and Spiky Hair sometimes. But yeah, to the point of this. After one of my actresses left, my Amy actress and my Rebecca Resler/Brittany Emerson actress stayed and we had a mini-party. We made a video too, and it's on my YouTube channel if you want to view it. It's a dedication video, mostly. And if you listen closely, after the song ends, some Cause of Death music plays. :) (In the video, I'm the Brunette with the wickedly over-sized shirt, and my Amy actress (we'll fix her hair and stuff before filming) is the blonde. My Rebecca/Brittany actress is the one filming.)**

**And I think ya'll will be happy to know I recruited another Cause of Death fan. I even gave her my iTunes Account stuff so she could get all of the episodes I have downloaded. She's going to be busy for a week. :D **

**So yeah, I have a question for all of you. Saturday and a bit of Sunday, I've been feeling really light-headed. It's relaxed a bit and I can stand up for a longer amount of time, but I'm wondering if it's because I'm not eating as much as I'm supposed to, (I have been eating quite a lot lately because I haven't been eating enough.) Or I'm hung over from being sick for two weeks. I don't know, but, it's like killing me. I could barely even do the video because the room was spinning and I had to stay standing. I really didn't want to pass out and scare my friends.**

**Anyway, that's all for now. I'll try to get a _better _chapter in soon. Thanks for surviving another long intro. Read and Review? :)**

* * *

><p>"Natalia Warden," a high, hoarse voice chuckled. I looked up from my argument and instantly thought, <em>Genevieve<em>. "My sister did say you looked a lot like your mother. She wasn't lying."

"Who...Who are you?" I asked shakily. I already feared that I knew the answer.

"I am Carli Collins," the woman replied. "Mother of all the Cyborgs."

_At least she didn't say serial killers. She's not as bad as Genevieve, but she's not any better, _I thought.

"What do you want from me?" I asked, keeping a professional glare.

"It's simple. You're a smart girl and I'm looking for a successor."

"I am _not _building robots for you," I snarled. "I have a family to attend to."

"I'm sure Hal here can take care of your kids," she said.

"Not even when I'm dead, Carli."

"Why so tense?"

I scoffed, even though it hurt. "You should know. You set Hal up."

"He was stupid enough to fall for it. Natalia, you're smarter. Your life is on the line. Here are your options; You accept my offer, I free Hal, Kai, and everyone else in this prison and I stitch you up. You'll be as good as new. However, if you decline my offer, you suffer with everyone else."

Why did she have to be so clever? I but my lower lip in frustration.

"Natalia, don't agree," Kai said quickly.

"Yeah, don't!" Hal added.

"But no one deserves to suffer through this," I hissed.

"Think about Brynn and Tommy. They already lost their dad, Nat," Kai whispered, "if you left, they'll grow up like you did, abandoned and alone. They would be left with a man who didn't know better, and his good-looking wife and sweet daughter. The man would feel sorry about everything and decide on whether or not to run off because he felt like a failure for everything he's done. He would hate himself everyday. Everyday, he would worry about losing that little girl like he lost his best friends." Kai sighed heavily and covered his face. "They shouldn't grow up like you did."

I rested my hand on Kai's and whispered back a reply, "But the girl grew up loving the man more than anything and depending on him for guidance. She would risk her life to save his." I sighed heavily and then nodded towards Kai. "Kai, take good care of my kids."

"Natalia!" Kai gasped, but I ignored him. I looked at Hal and contemplated on what to say.

"Hal..."

"Natalia?"

"I might as well thank you for whatever joy you might have caused in our short time together. And I'm sorry about your wife. Maybe you can find another one."

"Another...Natalia, there's only one girl that I truly loved throughout the time I've gotten to know her," he replied.

"Then go find her and tell her," I replied coldly. This seemed to catch him off guard, but I didn't really care. I looked towards Carli and nodded. "Alright, Carli. I'll go up on your offer. But please make sure everyone gets out safely."

"Natalia!" Hal and Kai shouted, but Carli grinned maliciously.

Little did I know...I wouldn't be keeping up on that offer.


	13. Chapter Thirteen

**Hey! Another longer update. So proud of myself.**

**REVIEW REPLIES:**

**-But I Have Promises To Keep**  
><strong>Thanks for the advice. I actually took it and guess who's running around and making random videos now. :) Seriously though, thank you!<strong>

**-SVUProductions**  
><strong>Ooh! I totally wanna hear about it! <strong>

**-topyeah19**  
><strong>;) It's going to be a similar relationship between Mal and Natara. We might actually get a few 'I love you's' but Nat is still hurt, emotionally and physically, from what Hal did.<strong>

**-mozzi-girl**  
><strong>Saw your reply, read the story, and thought, 'Okay, that was short.' So, because you're a beast, I made a longer chapter. ;) Thanks for the heads up and the review. <strong>

**-MaltaraFluff647**  
><strong>It is a fun activity, but I don't think some think it's fun. I had another actor quit out on me, and she had the perfect red hair I was looking for to be Sophie. And I've had the same thing happen with another friend, only it was the My First Kiss vid. And she knows the girl who featured in it. When I showed her it on Saturday, she was like, 'Wait, I've seen this before...' No harm though, right? :)<strong>

**And I call it Auto-Cucumber since that's its Auto-Correct name. :) As for Update Skin...:) I'll see how that works out. (I know what you really mean, don't worry. :D )**

**So, not much to report today besides the new Cause of Death episode; Tendrils for me. I actually really liked and surprisingly enough, I'm starting to like Blaise. And just saying, the beginning (after the intro) was cheesy, but absolutely perfect. :) And just the amount of creepy with the intro. :) **

**Thank you! Read and Review? :D**

* * *

><p>When I came to, not remembering anything that had happened from the time I accepted the offer, I realized I was in a bleak hospital room. I tried to sit up, but a pain ripped through my side, causing me to sit down. Carli was by my bedside.<p>

"We didn't fully fix your side," she informed me, smiling slightly. "You know, because you might just run away."

"I can't work if I'm incapacitated," I hissed and she chuckled.

"My dear, dear, Natalia. All your work consists of is testing my chemicals. Juan captures all my other test subjects."

My eyes narrowed. "Capture...We had an agreement, Collins."

"Agreement? All I remember is saying I'll free the prisoners. There was no agreement on permanently freeing them and you never said how long. Also, there was no _agreement _on my future victims. For a top agent, Ms. Warden, you're an idiot."

"Okay, first, my name is Natalia _Fallon_. I refuse to go by Warden. And second, where is everyone then?"

"Where the only sense of freedom is...In the Prison Yard. But you're not supposed to worry about them. You're supposed to worry about making my little concoctions."

"What about my kids?" I asked, glaring at her. "They don't really have a parent to go to."

"Not true, Ms. _Fallon_," she spat. "You have your husband...Or shall I say ex?"

"Sean? Why would I ever let my kids stay..."

"You cannot say that. After all...Where were they when you left with Hal to work on this case? They were with Sean. You obviously still have trust in him. You could have left them with Amy..."

"You're really asking for it, Collins."

"Says the girl who didn't think about our agreement fully. Now, I want you to get to work."

I scoffed. "How can I? I'M INCAPACITATED!"

It didn't hurt as much to yell anymore, but it still caused some pain; and if I showed pain, Carli knew she had me under her control.

"You're adorable," Carli replied with a smirk. "You'll work from your place until you've somewhat healed and can walk without whining. Juan will watch you closely to make sure you don't do anything stupid."

I rolled my eyes as she wheeled out of the room, Juan replacing her presence. He didn't show it on his face, but I could tell he was frightened.

"You don't have to do everything she says," I spoke up after a short moment of silence. "After all, you're bigger than her and can over-power easily."

"I cannot do that," he replied. "She has my family."

"Doesn't she have everyone's family..."

"Is your family here too?" Juan asked, his expression brightening.

"Just my God-Father...er...Uncle. She also had my partners wife. However, she killed her off before the deal was complete."

"Carli is meticulous, cruel, and yet very clever. She can find a loophole in _any _situation you throw at her. After all, she was a lawyer. She outsmarts us all."

I thought about this. There has to be a similarity between Carli and Genevieve that could lead to her downfall. Genevieve was heartless, but grew weak-kneed when she saw someone kill. It was her true weakness. Carli loved robots. It didn't take an Albert Einstein to figure out _that _one...

"Juan, can you tell me a little more about Carli's obsession?" I asked and he shrugged.

"She's a creepy lady who likes robots," he responded dully. "What more is there to it?"

"Do you know how she makes her...Potions?"

"In her lab. She uses all sorts of chemicals and spare robot parts. You know, she even tried some of the stuff on herself. That's one of the reason why she's in a wheelchair. She hides it, but she's also a Cyborg herself."

"Then there has to be something wrong she's doing to her mixture. Have you seen her make the stuff?"

"Only once, but she was really shaky and muttering to herself."

"Do you remember what order she put everything in? I'm sure she has everything in the right place, but she might be adding too much or too less of whatever she pours in there."

"I don't remember, but I can look through her files. She keeps all of her ingredients and recipes in her lab."

I nodded. "Please. That would mean a lot. I might actually be able to stop Carli once and for all."

Juan smiled and exited the room, giving me some time to think. I looked around the room, noticing things I hadn't seen before; a television, a leather couch, a syringe on a table filled with scary hospital tools that both my kids and I despised greatly. Then, I saw a phone. _Tommy and Brynn_, I thought instantly and reached for it. I expected an alarm to sound as soon as I picked it up; nothing. I slowly dialed Sean's number, hesitating on each digit. When the phone actually rang, I caught my breath.

"Sean Warden Residence," a familiar, somewhat loathsome voice replied.

"Sean! It's so good to hear you," I sighed with a smile.

"Is this Madi?" Sean asked quickly. "I told you we were over a week ago."

Madi? I would talk to him about that later. "No, Sean, it's Natalia."

"Crap. Hey, sorry about that. Listen, she hasn't..."

"Look, I don't care about Madi right now. I need to talk to Tommy."

"You sound panicked. What's wrong, Nat?"

I sighed heavily. "Sean, in my line of work, the weirdest things can happen. I'm not exactly sure you'll believe me."

"Come on, Nat! You've got me interested." He did sound eager, but he has done this before. At first, he didn't actually believe that Mal Fallon and Natara Williams Fallon. When he learned that that was the truth...He was partially upset with me because my story didn't sound believable enough.

"Okay, here it goes; Genevieve Collins's long-lost sister has kidnapped my uncle and made my partner turn against me and took me into her prison where everyone tends to be a Cyborg. She's making me become her new apprentice and refuses to let anyone go."

Sean was silent for a minute and I almost thought he believed me. But what he said next made my blood boil a bit.

"Maybe you should stop getting high with your new partner, Natalia. You might get in trouble."

"See, you did it again, Sean! I am not lying! I'm also in pain right now because my _partner _stabbed _me_!"

"Yeah, I don't feel comfortable with you talking to our kids while under the influence of drugs. Come home safely Nat. Oh, and please pick up the kids soon. They're driving me crazy."

I dropped the phone and held back a cry of frustration. I couldn't show weakness. Not yet, at least.


	14. Chapter 14

**I know it's rather short, but I needed to post it today! After all, I did promise. :D**

**REVIEW REPLIES:**

**-SVUProductions**  
><strong>Oh my gosh! That sled story is just too funny! :D Thanks for the review! :D<strong>

**-mozzi-girl**  
><strong>Hey! No problem with not reviewing. And you are a beast. :D Thanks for the review!<strong>

**Okay, this chapter is not my best, but it isn't my worst. I actually really like it. :D Especially the end. I'll see if I can post more today! **

**Thank you!**

* * *

><p><em>Years seemed to pass quickly. She never died like she had said she would. No. She built her own empire, laughing from above while her 'children' worked beneath her. It was a worthwhile dream for her, something she knew she would see one day, and it was all my fault.<em>

_I saw my own children stumbling in her shadow, whining for the comfort of their mother's arms, and not her metallic ones. They cried out the same words everyday, 'Where's our Mommy?' Even Hal, the one I despised, was crawling now, unable to bear the weight of this slavery. It took another year, but he finally fell to the ground and whimpered, reaching out for my hand; a hand that would never come._

"_Where are you, Natalia?" he asked as a robot hauled him off and I knew where he was going. He would never live to see daylight again._

_Even Kai was struggling to keep up with the group. His once broad shoulders were slumped as he held Amy's hand, fearing that if he let go, she would be gone forever. Let's face it; you never lived to see another day once you were captured by Carli Collins. I would know...Because I'm her successor._

"Natalia," Juan barked in a hushed tone as he shook me awake from my slumber. I didn't know I had fallen asleep. The dream seemed so real. "You were muttering in your sleep about being Carli's successor. Are you feeling okay?"

I sat up as much as I could and sighed heavily. "What's up?" I asked. I didn't bother answering his question. Obviously, we both knew the truth.

"I got the ingredients and the recipe, but it's all written in another language. Carli is tricky."

"It's alright. I took French in Junior High, Spanish in High school, and Latin in College. What language did she write it?"

Juan sighed and handed me the page and my mouth dropped a bit. "Chinese?" I grumbled. "She wrote in Chinese!"

"Well, very few people know it. She is like her sister in a way."

I grumbled under my breath as I studied the page. When looking over the symbols didn't help, I looked at Juan.

"Can you tell me what you remember from when she made the concoction?"

"I can try, but my memory is foggy."

So, Juan stood beside me, helping me pour things into a smaller pot. After a few mini-explosions, we finally came out with a stable mixture. "This could be it," I said. "We just need something to test it on."

"I'll do it," Juan said, bowing his head slightly.

"No! You have a family to go to," I argued. "I can't just let you take some dangerous chemicals."

"Maybe we can get Carli to try it," Juan suggested.

"But what if I actually created an actual robot serum? She'll become stronger..."

I had to think this one through again. I didn't want to hurt anyone at the prison. It wasn't until I hear a happy chirping that I knew who to test it on.

"Juan," I said, facing the window, "get me that bird."

"Animal cruelty," Juan growled as he quickly grabbed the bird. It's cheerful chirps turned into strangled cries. I knew I was definitely going to regret this, but it was the only way without hurting an actual human. I poured the mixture into the bird's open beak and it gulped down the serum. Instantly, it grew quiet.

"Oh no," I muttered. "Is it..."

"It's still breathing," Juan muttered. "The changes are small, but they happen."

I studied the bird, and at first I didn't see it, but its feathers were getting shinier. Soon, they were glazed with metal, and it's eyes were red. It almost looked as if it had armor on.

"Juan," I whispered.

"Natalia?"

"We did it."

I saved whatever serum was left and tucked it under my pillow. Juan set the bird on the stand next to my bed and that's when Carli wheeled herself in.

"Ah, what do we have here?" she asked, noticing the small pot next to my bed and ingredients strewn across the floor. Her eyes fell upon the bird and her expression hardened. "Natalia, tell me what you did."

"Well, Miss Collins," I said, hesitating to find the right response. "I think that since I am your...Successor...I should learn how you conduct your experiments. So I kindly asked Juan to retrieve some supplies and I replicated a serum that you made. However, with a few slight changes." I pulled the glass vial from under my pillow and presented it to her. "This is what I made." I pointed to the bird and replied as calmly as I could, my eyes looking towards Juan, who was now behind Carli. "And...This is the outcome."

The look that fell into Carli's eyes was of pure excitement, joy, and yet, utter confusion. I saw Juan lift up a syringe filled with a strange liquid. He wasn't a killer, I could see that, so the liquid must have been an anesthetic.

"My child," she announced, "you are brilliant. Much more brilliant than any others who have tried to recreate what I have failed to do. You are the one to take my place when I am gone. I congratulate you! In fact..."

Juan slammed the syringe into the base of her neck and she gasped. He forced the liquid into her system and after that was done, dropped the needle and ran to my side. With little difficulty, he picked me up and started to run out of the room, leaving Carli to suffer.

For some reason...I felt guilty.


	15. Chapter Fifteen

**I know, it's really short. I had to post something, though.**

**-mozzi-girl**  
><strong>Hey! And thanks for the review! I loved it! And I agree...Poor bird.<strong>

**-MaltaraFluff67**  
><strong>Sorry for the short chapter, first of all. And thanks for the review. I hate Sean as much as you do, btw. :D<strong>

**Ok...Everyone...I'll admit...I have been starting another story. It is called, The Legend of Caza, and it features Mal and Natara as the huge couple pairing. The Legend of Caza is based off of The Legend of Zorro, which I saw with my class this Tuesday. (Caza being translated into Hunt)**

**Also, I have been getting a little sick, lately, and right now, I feel like vomiting, but I needed to finish the story. AND, I must tell you the good news. My friend who plays Amy Chen in the movie is now addicted to Cause of Death. Sometimes she'll text me saying, 'Oh my gosh, I can't believe Mal did that,' and we get in this whole Cause of Death conversation. One day, I asked her what couple pairing she liked. I said Maltara and she must have thought I said Couple Pairing Name because before I could stop her, I became addicted to the new Maltara name...Natmala. Haha, I might refer to it sometime.**

**Oh, and I realized that this story isn't as popular. I do want to finish it, but have it not be a huge priority at the moment.**

**Kk, sorry if none of that made sense. I'm really tired. I'll possibly talk to you all soon again! Thanks!**

* * *

><p>The alarms didn't sound until Juan and I were back to my original cell. Hal, Kai, and the two others sat, shivering quietly. When the alarms went off, Hal jumped to his feet.<p>

"Natalia, what did you do?" he asked in alarm.

"Only took down Miss Collins," Juan announced.

"Well, you were the one that slammed the syringe into her neck," I said, smiling at Juan. He chuckled.

"But you were the one..."

"As much as I want to hear what happened," Kai grumbled, getting to his feet, "We need to scram before any of Collins's robots decide to tear us to shreds."

"Right," Juan said and he gently placed me on the ground. "Hold on for a second, Nat. I'll get your friends out and then we can release everyone in this prison!"

"Thank you, Juan," I said quietly and he reached for his belt loop. He pulled out a wad of keys and frowned. "This is going to take too long," he muttered.

"Just get us out of here," Hal barked and I sighed.

"Don't rush him," I snapped back.

"Why? Is he your little boyfriend now?"

"Hal!"

"You two just shut up!" Kai called out over the alarm. "All you two have been doing is fighting! You're starting to get really annoying. Natalia, I know what Hal did was absolutely, positively wrong, but that doesn't mean you two need to fight! Look, Natalia, this same thing happened with your parents. Before they started dating, Natara had a boyfriend who had turned to the dark side and joined forces with Genevieve Collins. One night, Mal and Natara had tracked him down to the top of a roof. Mal was angry with Natara's boyfriend, which caused some bitter feelings between the two. Well, an accident occurred causing Mal to shoot your mother's ex boyfriend. Natara thought this was out of hate at first...but it was an accident. Natalia, Hal never truly meant to hurt you."

"You're uncle is right, Natalia," Hal replied. "I didn't want to hurt you at first, but when Carli announced the capture of my wife...I had to do it to save her."

"Your father never meant to injure Shawn," Kai said quietly, "and Hal never meant to injure you. Please, Natalia, just stop this insanity and focus on escaping."

I looked at Hal. His apology seemed sincere, as well as my father's. Why did this have to be so hard for me to comprehend. Why couldn't I just forgive Hal and forget about Carli? That's right...Because I'm my mother's daughter...


	16. Chapter Sixteen

**Hey. Have I told ya'll that when I'm upset, I write? Well, yeah...I'm really upset today.**

**Remember that friend I had issues with? The one who hurt me and made fun of my opinion. Well...We had a really big fight over texting the other day and it made me hate technology even more. I'll give you what happened.**

**She and this girl I don't really like texted me, asking if I could give them my Mal actor's phone number. I was curious, you know, so I asked what for. Every time I ask, 'what for' though, I always get, 'It's a long story...so yeah...'...That made me mad so I sent a rather rude text. I recognized this after I sent it and typed out an apology. However, my friend texted back, insulting me. It got really ugly after that.**

**I'm on Facebook right now and I just posted, 'Don't you hate it when you lose friends over a stupid argument...:\' and the girl I don't really like commented saying, 'You haven't lost me!' I still don't know what to do. I want things to change between us and I just want to go to school and laugh again and have people laugh with me when Plastic Fork slaps me across the face. **

**Also, with Spelling Bee in a couple of days, it isn't helping my mood. I've been extremely stressed lately (so stressed, I skipped the Theater Company Auditions) and I haven't been doing anything but talk to my friend over email and resume my cleaning job. I barely have any time to do anything anymore. It's all piling up and I've broken down a couple of times this week and just cried it out. I mean...I was fine with sitting alone at lunch...But honestly, I don't think I can take another day of being absolutely silent and not laughing. I re-read a lot of your guys's reviews though during this hard time and found myself giggling quietly. All I have to say is you are all amazing and thank you!**

**REVIEW REPLY:**

**-mozzi-girl**  
><strong>Hey! Thanks for the review. It really made me smile. And thanks for being so excited about them escaping. You're still a beast!<strong>

**Alright, on with business, and not my life.**

**We still need to have Mal rescue Natara in Hostage and Mal needs to kick Ted Burton's butt in Boot Camp. :)**

**I've also been thinking long and hard about posting _The Legend of Le Caza_. A parody of Zorro using the Cause of Death characters. I think it's a cute plot, so I might be posting it soon.**

**Anyways...I think that's really all.**

**Oh, and really guys...eight reviews in one day and, like, fifty favorite story alerts. You guys are making my inbox explode! Haha! Love ya all! Have a great rest of the week. :) ((Oh, and I do have a Facebook page now. I'm not sure I'm supposed to do this, but it's called Katlana Child. I'll use it for announcing little things like Legend of Le Caza or some other stuff along those lines. :) )) Thank you again!**

* * *

><p>It was a split decision. I nodded towards Hal and muttered the two words I thought I would never say to him. "I'm sorry."<p>

He smiled softly and replied, "I never meant to hurt you, Nat. You're still one of my closest...Well, actually my only friend."

Dang it, Hal! Even without the accent, he was still very charming...And good-looking.

"Now, let's act like a team and get out of here," Kai announced. "Juan...I know you have family here. Why don't you find them and bring them to safety. You two," Kai resumed and pointed to our cell mates. "Run off to safety. Find your parents. And Hal and I will get Natalia to safety."

"Sounds good," Juan agreed and turned towards the kids. "Come with me. I'll help you find your parents."

After the kids and Juan were gone, Kai and Hal pulled me up and I wrapped my arms around each of their necks for support. We hobbled along the cell block, trying to travel as fast as we could.

We were in the prison yard before the effect of what Juan did to Carli Collins took place. Robots...Actual robots flooded from underground doors, rising into the yard, cornering escapee prisoners.

"No!" Hal cursed, "we're too late."

"No, we aren't," Kai muttered. "I've been around these hunks of metal long enough to know they all have sensors that activate their sleep mode when a red laser is reflected off of their armor."

"Do you have a laser pen?" I asked eagerly, knowing that Hal and I were short of the desired item.

"Well..." Kai hesitated, ultimately giving me the thought that he was also short of one.

"What do we do? I can't fight and you guys need to support me," I groaned and Hal thought for a minute.

"Natalia, I'm so sorry, this is all my fault! If I just didn't accept the offer!" He sighed and turned away. A line of robots surrounded us and I cursed loudly.

_This is it_, I thought. _I will never see Tommy or Brynn again. I will never tell Brynn that her first boyfriend is a complete idiot...I will never see Tommy in a football game...I will never yell at Sean again...I will never get the chance to tell Amy and Carli (Kalaba) that I really love them and that I would try to strive for a better life...I would never find love again. This isn't how it should end..._

The robots stopped walking and took a step to the side, revealing Carli Collins, still as nasty as she was previous. Her malicious grin sent a chill down my spine.

"You're clever, Natalia, just like my sister described," she hissed.

"You're sister, though intelligent, was a threat to society. You think you can make the world perfect by just covering up everyone's flaws," Kai shouted.

"I am not hiding flaws. I am simply perfecting the world by using this robotic serum," Carli hissed. "No one will cry. No one will get hurt..."

"No one will laugh," Hal added. "No one will feel any emotion."

"A bit of a smart-aleck, aren't you, Mr. Talon," Carli chuckled. "No worries. I think you'll make an excellent robot slave."

"Robo-Slave," Hal growled, "I do NOT like the sound of that."

"Neither do I," I muttered. "Carli, this has to stop! What you're doing; it's not perfecting anything. You're ruining lives by capturing these innocent people and sticking needles into them so you can perform tests. This is not the life of a happy person."

"I never said I wanted a happy life," Carli snapped. "If I wanted a happy life, I would be out of this wheelchair by now, but no! I was confined to this chair so I could practice my art; Robotics! Now, Bots...Bring me the smart mouth Miami Agent. Let's see if Natalia's concoction works on human beings."

"Wait," Hal called as two bots yanked him away from Kai and I. "You made stuff for her, Natalia?"

"It was the only way to keep alive," I shouted. "Plus, I thought it was a weakness."

"Yeah, make the crazy robot lady a potion that turns others into robots...Good call, Agent," Hal scoffed and he was forced to his knees in front of Carli.

"Any last words, Hal Talon?" Carli asked.

"Only that you're a crazy-psycho-lady-thing and that YOU WON'T GET AWAY WITH THIS!"

"Clever," Carli laughed and pulled out a syringe from her jacket pocket. "But not clever enough to save your life."

The needle was getting closer to Hal and my heart beat quickened. Although I hated him partially for hurting me this bad...I couldn't allow this to happen. He was my partner...And my friend.

I pushed myself away from Kai to approach Carli and Hal...But that's when the gun-shot rang out.


	17. Chapter Seventeen

**Now I know what ya'll are thinking...FINALLY! :D Yeah, it's been awhile. :) A month and one day, to be exact. That's a lot of procrastination right there.**

**REVIEW REPLIES:**

**-MaltaraFluff647**  
><strong>It's been awhile! Haha! And yeah, I thought the KaiAmy pairing was cute, and it seems EA is poking at that, what with Kai being so determined to make sure his friend is okay...But after Ken and Amy got together, I thought that pairing was really cute. I'm still really ticked that they killed off Ken, though. And I agree; Fatherly/Uncle-ish Kai is fun to see. I've seen people who can write it so much better, so I tried taking a step similar today. :) You'll have to read to find out.**

**-mozzi-girl (BEAST!)**  
><strong>Hehe, this just proves I haven't updated this story in awhile. Glad you liked Boot Camp! And thanks for the support. I'll most definitely take that into consideration. You're such a beast! :)<strong>

**ANYWAY! If you only read this story out of all of mine, I read my last intro and realized it was when my friends and I were having issues. I still don't like one of them, but the one who texted me is still one of my closest friends and we quickly made up after sending each other apologies. So, I'm holding up.**

**Other than that, I am mega-depressed. And don't worry about it, seriously. I am depressed because school starts again tomorrow and I was really liking the whole 'sleeping in until noon' jig. I'm also sad because math starts again. Like I've said...I LOVE my teacher, but I hate the subject. Plus, I have a sheet of math homework I still haven't done and I've had one hour in class to do it, plus nine days. But no...I've been goofing off on Sims and making videos. :)**

**Speaking of videos, I have posted three new ones this week; Home, Fix You, and my newest one that was released last night (or this morning. It was around midnight, I believe) Eyes Open, which just is a Volume 2 Recap. :) I suggest you check them out.**

**Thanks for the reviews, and enjoy! (It's rushed, I apologize. But I seriously wanted to just get out of the prison camp...) :D**

* * *

><p>"Hkk!" Carli cried as she reached for her chest, which was now soaked in blood.<p>

"You shall not mess with my friends," a rough accented man called and I turned around. My heart soared at once.

"Rufus!" I called. It wasn't only Rufus, however. It was all of the Refugees.

Carli gasped for air, but it was no use. Seeing that this was her final act, she yelled, "Destroy them!" She hacked up more and finally collapsed into her chair, dead. Hal dodged the syringe and rolled out of the way.

Rufus ran to help me up and placed the gun in my hands. "You left this at the camp."

"I can't handle a gun. Give it to Hal!" I shouted and Hal was already taking the gun.

"You alright, Nat?" he asked, cocking the gun. To me, Hal seemed like one of those crazy super-heroes. He had the wild look in his eye and a confident stance.

"Never better," I replied. "And you?"

"Not a robot," he replied and gave me a smile. "Now, why don't we do what we came here to do?"

"Kick some butt," Kai called. The Refugees, using their spears and other organic weapons, charged at the robots, kicking, punching, and letting loose battle-cries. Hal sped off, shooting frantically at large robots and using his muscle power to kick them aside. Even some of the prisoners were fighting back. Oh how I craved to be fighting along-side with them. My skin tingled; a longing that definitely came from my parents.

Kai held me close, protecting me from any harm. "If we win," he said loudly, giving a swift punch to a robot, knocking it aside, "then we can go home."

"And that's all I'm aiming for at this point," I replied and ducked from a robot's swing. Kai blocked it and pushed the robot further away.

We were winning! Robots were now littering the prison yard and cyborg prisoners were starting to join the fight. All I could do, was duck and cheer.

As soon as the robot invasion had died down a bit, Hal and the others came back to me. "Okay," Hal announced, "let's get the heck out of here."

"I couldn't agree more!" Kai growled as he, and Hal, both supported me as we ran off. The two were practically in sync, kicking away clutter, dodging attacks –making sure I never fell victim to them.

When we made it to a wired fence that separated us from our freedom, Kai growled. "How did the Refugees get in?" he asked and Hal shook his head.

"They probably jumped it," Hal replied, "but we can't do that. And let's face it, none of our bodies can break through it."

"Then jump...What's the problem with that?" I asked, a little annoyed.

"The fence is electric," Kai growled. "Can't you hear it?"

They fell silent and I listened intently. The faintest hint of a buzz surrounded the air and I cursed under my breath.

"Wait a second," Kai growled. "What if...By chance...We could short-circuit the entire barricade?"

"It's a good call," Hal responded, "but I don't see anything..."

That's when Kai held up his robotic hand. I stopped thinking of clever remarks and resulted to yelling.

"Oh, no!" I shouted. "You are not killing yourself just so I can get out of here."

"Natalia," Kai said quietly, "you have two young kids at home. You're still young. Hal has job opportunities, and every victim here has a purpose in life."

"But you have a wife and daughter!" I called. "You also have a purpose."

"Listen to me, Nat," Kai grumbled, now completely serious. I have never seen my uncle like this. "Your parents, though not greater fans of mine, trusted me with your life...Okay, they trusted Amy more, but ended up including me in the deal. Anyway, when your parents were killed that night, I swore myself to avenge them in any way possible. Over twenty years, I've been an unsuccessful father and guardian, their deaths still weighing heavily on my shoulders. It wasn't until that day I was stolen from home that I knew how I could avenge your parents. Nat...I've lived my life long enough. You haven't."

"Kai, don't do this!"

"I much rather give my life knowing that several will be saved instead of having you and so many others die because I didn't do my duty."

His words hurt, but I knew I couldn't combat them. He was right. He always was.

"Kai..." I sighed and Hal stepped back so he could hug me.

"Things will be okay, I promise," he whispered. "Just make sure to tell Amy what happened and the cause of it all. She and Carli will understand. Got it?"

"I wish I could say no," I replied, but he knew I understood. After he pulled away, Hal came over and led me away from the fence. I closed my eyes, not wanting to see the outcome. Though I didn't quite like it, Hal pulled me in a hug. It wasn't until I felt the burst of heat and energy and a pained scream that I knew I needed that hug. I felt warm tears stream down my cheeks. "Kai..."

"It's alright, Natalia," Hal said quietly. "We'll get you home as soon as possible. I'll make sure of it."

Hal led me past the now short-circuited electric fence, due to my eyes being closed, and we sort of ran off. It wasn't until we were approximately a mile away, that I opened my eyes. It all weighed down on me.

Kai was dead. I was alive.


	18. Chapter Eighteen

**Believe it or not, this is the second-to-last chapter!**

**REVIEW REPLIES:**

**-But I Have Promises To Keep**  
><strong>Fox Inheritance...I'm going to have to look that one up. Thanks for reading and for the review. (And did I already tell you that your video will have to be delayed until I can get one download and Body Shop to work?)<strong>

**-Shocked**  
><strong>Aw, thanks! I'm glad you like it! Thanks for the review!<strong>

**-mozzi-girl**  
><strong>Killing of Kai was very hard for me to do, believe it or not. I do think you are aware of my fan-girl crush on him, correct? :D Anyway...I...Made...The...Beast...Cry? No way! I didn't think that would happen. But I'm glad the story...Um...Touched? (Is that the word? Idk!) someone. Thanks!<strong>

**Anyway...Just wanted to update tonight. It is a school night (Ugh!) so I have to be quick.**

**Yes, this is the second-to-last chapter. There will be one more after this and then...Guess what? A sequel! I know I promised one for Three Princesses, and I want to get that one finished, but this one is promised. Why? Because I wrote down three short stories to go with this whole Haltalia series. I'll give you a hint on the sequel; Old Friends make a reappearance. :) Plus some very interesting news is released that could cost Natalia her job.**

**I won't spoil any of the third story; mainly because I feel that that is THE most IMPORTANT story of the whole series. :)**

**So...Other than all of that, I guess I'm done. **

**I am also thinking of taking video requests again! I already have one from But I Have Promises To Keep, and let me tell you, it's a good one. Please note that I do take only a few requests at a time because believe it or not...They're actually really hard to make at points. You can request as many times as you want, really. :) I am really only using Sims 3 now, but if you want me to use Sims 2, that's fine as well. (Sims 2, in my opinion, has better Romantic Actions than 3. But 3 has all the fun, action-y stuff!)**

**THANK YOU! You all have been a huge help to me. I really do appreciate all of your kindness and words of encouragement. You're all amazing! :D**

* * *

><p>Sunlight woke me up the next morning. I blinked it away and looked around, spotting Hal leaning against a tree with a calm expression. He wasn't the only one. We were surrounded by Refugees and Rufus. I looked around anxiously for Kai. Hal noted this action and sat next to me.<p>

"Nat," he said quietly.

"Hold on...Where's Kai?" I asked and Hal looked away. Was my nightmare reality? Was Kai, the man who boasted that he was invincible to anything...Dead?

"Hal...Where is Kai?" I asked, more harshly.

"Natalia, please understand that he gave his life..."

"So, he's actually gone?"

Everyone was either bowing their head or looking away from me. I sighed heavily. Then I turned to Hal and looked him directly in the eye. He looked nervous at first, as if I was going to blame him.

"Thank you."

He gave me a quizzical look. "What...?"

"The hug..." I replied quietly. "It...It meant a lot. Thanks Hal."

"No problem," was his only reply as he began to look away. That's when Rufus spoke.

"Anyway...Natalia, Hal was thinking of calling an ambulance or something so we can get you fixed up and sent back home," he informed.

"That would be nice," I muttered. Just thinking about holding Tommy and Brynn in my arms again was something I looked forward too. Explaining to Amy and Carli what happened; Not so much.

"But you must know, I can not tag along," Rufus added. "My Refugees and I must go back to our home and prepare the next Hunt."

"Well, I have to repay you guys somehow," I said quietly.

"Just being a friend is pay-back enough," he replied with a chuckle.

"Well, honestly," Hal butted in, "With all due respect, Rufus...I thought, since this is turning into a war between you and the Hunters..."

Rufus shook his head. "Look, I might I have been rough our first time meeting, but I like you two. Natalia is incapacitated and you, my friend, have to pull yourself together after what happened. My Refugees and I can withstand an attack."

"Well," I grunted, trying to sit upright. Hal assisted me and kept his hand on my back so I would stay sitting. "Since Kai was a helper...I want to be one too. You know, in order to take Kai's place!"

"I'm afraid I can't let that..." Rufus began and I sighed loudly.

"Please! Kai would have wanted it."

"Actually," he replied, "he would want you to be safe. Being a helper to the Refugees is a dangerous task, Natalia."

"So is being a mother and agent..."

He took this into consideration and sighed heavily. "Alright...But you need to go home first. I'll give your whole station a call if something happens, alright? Until then, get some rest, get back with your kids, and take a few days to recollect yourself. After what you two have been through...I would allow more than a month off."

Rufus straightened his stance and smiled slightly. "You two are brave for what you do. I will never forget this act of kindness. Fortuna!" And with that said, he and his army of fighters strolled off. Hal frowned slightly.

"What did he mean by Fortuna?" he asked.

"It's Latin," I replied. "Fortuna also means Good Luck."

"Well then...We'll need all the Fortuna we can get. I sent a buzz to the Emergency Center. They'll be here any minute. Why don't you get a few more doses of sleep."

I smirked. "There's plenty of time for sleep when I get to the hospital. Besides...I want to apologize."

"Nat, you don't have to do this," Hal said quietly.

"No...I have to. Hal...We both said and did nasty things to each other. You harmed me and I didn't see past the bigger picture. You were doing it for love...And I didn't see that. My heart...It's been broken from my past divorce and everything dealing with love weighs down on me."

"Nat...Please..."

"And that hatred caused me to be blind. You're a good person, Hal. I should have never said any of those things."

"Natalia, I don't want..."

"Please let me finish. You're an amazing friend and any girl would be honored to..."

What happened next; Blew. Me. Away!

He supported the back of my head with his hand and kissed me softly and quickly. My heart-beat quickened and I gasped slightly. My cheeks, as well as his, turned a nice red. Even though the kiss was short...It still felt like it had gone on for a long time. When he pulled back, he smiled slightly.

"I don't want an apology," he said under his breath so only I could hear. "Because I know how sorry you are...And I know that I am very sorry as well." His voice jumped into his British accent during the last sentence, which made me smile even more.

"Hal...What on earth are we getting ourselves into?" I asked and he chuckled.

"I don't know, Nat. But I can tell it's going to be an amazing adventure."

Now I know what you're all thinking; _Oh my gosh, she kissed the man that tried to kill her!_

May I remind you that he saved my life even after the incident. That, and you have no right to say in who I crush on. :)


	19. Chapter Nineteen

**Very short and ends horrifically, but hey, there's going to be a sequel! Don't worry!**

**REVIEW REPLIES:**

**-But I Have Promises To Keep**  
><strong>I'll have to check it out sometime! :D And Tech-Talk! Haha! Yeah, I'm still making it. I just can't get something to work at the moment, so it will be delayed. :) Anyway, thanks for the awesome review!<strong>

**-LaylaaSkiesOfBlue**  
><strong>Haha! Don't worry about not reviewing! It's totally fine! And thanks for liking this story so much. :) Thanks for the review!<strong>

**-mozzi-girl (Beast!)**  
><strong>Haha! Yeah, forget about Natalia. Haha! Thanks for the kind words and review! :D<strong>

**Yeah, something urgent happened today and I thought I should share it with ya'll. It is kind of...Serious.**

**So, some of you know that I live in Utah. Well, if there's one thing 'scarier' than the Mormons here (And I mean that as a joke, because I am one.) It's the Earthquakes. Once every 350 years, we get a major earthquake. Well, we've passed the deadline a couple of years ago and the whole state has gone into panic mode. Yes, and I am not kidding. Emergency Preparedness is now a top priority, especially dealing with Earthquakes. So, today, we held the first ever Great Utah ShakeOut. Let me explain;**

**Every school district and work office and medical area participated at around 10:15 AM and 10:45 AM in a mock, 7.0 Earthquake simulation. First, a rumbling or an alarm would go off, signaling each individual to find cover under a desk, or even by making some with their own bodies. Our school took a part in this and 20 eighth graders attempted at sliding under their very small desks. There, we waited for about ten minutes before being dismissed by our principal. She then instructed us to evacuate the building...Into the pouring rain. It wasn't all that bad. Just prior to the drill, our class participated in an amusing arts and crafts project by turning trash bags into wearable ponchos. We were also allowed to wear our jackets inside the building, just for that one day because of the ShakeOut. Outside, we sat for about five minutes until our principal announced that the school grounds were no longer safe, thus having the eighth graders pair up with a first grader. We trekked for about a mile of campus, this taking thirty minutes. Along the way, people from other schools limped around, blood streaking down their faces, their arms and legs bandaged up, etc. This, of course, terrified the first graders. However, it was all an act.**

**Upon arriving at a pavilion, our principal announced the new safety guidelines that our school currently had. In the background, you could hear sirens and police cars zooming down the street. Ambulances trailed behind, carrying the 'injured' victims. We waited for another ten minutes before heading back to school grounds, which took another thirty minutes.**

**Once settled into our classrooms, our teacher explained that the chances of a very large earthquake hitting Utah is very probable in the near future. This got me thinking. Let's say, I was at school and the Earthquake hit. My house would probably collapse, destroying my room...My computer...Everything that gives me access to this site. Now, let's say I am unlucky. I'm not trying to be pessimistic, but it could happen. My family might get caught in the 'quake and we might all...Well...Perish. I don't know if my house can handle the damage from the tremors and I don't know when the 'quake will actually hit. But when it does, I want to make sure everything I am currently doing, like this story, for example, is preserved until I, or someone else, can finish it. **

**Believe me, I might sound very serious about it, and I am, but I'm horrified at the same time. I'm shaking as I type, because I have anxiety about Natural Disasters. And hear me out, the WHOLE STATE took action in this, creating mock injuries...It was truly scary. Everything seemed so...Real! The only thing missing was the tremors. (Yes, people were even transferred to hospitals so they could get their 'injuries' taken care of. This is some serious crap, guys!) They seem so sure about this and I'm starting to believe them. I even told the first grader I had to assist, "Yeah, I don't believe that it'll happen. You can't just say an earthquake happens every 350...When people really didn't live here for that long." It made her feel better...But I was doubting my words after I saw the news report. Sure, in the past, we've had plenty of seminars explaining earthquake safety and this act displayed today was planned years ago. **

**Well, I know for a fact I won't be able to sleep tonight without thinking the earthquake will strike...**

**ANYWAY! On a happier, lighter subject. I want to create trailers for each volume (disregarding 8, since it already had a trailer) and post them on YouTube.**

**Wow, and I'm still shaking. Some funny words will make me happier. Think you guys can do that? I'm sorry I'm acting like such a wuss, but like I said, I have anxiety issues...I just don't display them very well.**

**Thank you!**

* * *

><p>It took nearly ten minutes after our kiss until a helicopter...Yes, a helicopter, arrived on scene. I was transported to the nearest hospital which just so happened to be my regular hospital, thank goodness. After some fast and effective surgery, I was able to greet any visitors that stopped by. Hal, of course, had never even left.<p>

"Hey," he greeted. "How's the...Uh...Wound?"

I sighed. "The doctor says I'm very lucky." I gave him a reassuring smile and he knelt by my bedside, grabbing my hand. The more we talked about a relationship, the cornier he got; I didn't mind.

"Nat..."

"I accept the apology. I thought I did when you kissed me," I replied, smiling playfully now. He chuckled and squeezed my hand.

Just as he performed this action, Amy burst through the door, Brynn in her arms and Tommy by Carli's feet.

"Mommy!" Tommy cried and he ran up to the hospital bed. He stopped when he saw Hal, however. Tommy was very cautious around strangers. Yes, I have raised him well.

"Tommy, this is my partner and friend, Hal Talon; Hal, this is my son, Tommy." I introduced somewhat formally.

"Hey Tommy," Hal greeted happily, releasing his grip on my hand. "You know, I've heard a lot about you from your mom."

"I'm not supposed to talk to strangers," Tommy said quietly, taking a cautious step back. I laughed and spoke up,

"Tommy, Hal isn't a stranger. He saved my life..."

"Wait, wait, wait," Carli interrupted with a grin, "I know what's going on. You and Agent Hottie are dating now, right?"

"Agent...Hottie?" Hal asked and Amy sighed heavily.

"Forgive my daughter, Mr. Talon. She...She isn't what you might find in Britain..."

I smiled nervously. "Yeah...Amy...About that..."

"I'm from Vermont," Hal added quickly. "You know...I'm like...One-Hundred Percent American."

Amy raised an eyebrow and I smiled. "But hey...He is quite the Agent Hottie, isn't he."

Carli laughed. "You're too awesome, Nat!"

Amy sighed and then smiled. "You two can be so unbearable sometimes. Hal, I apologize in advance."

Hal chuckled slightly. "There's no need to."

Brynn began to cry out and Amy gently passed her over to me. I smiled and stroked her cheek. "Hey Brynn," I whispered. "Mommy's back."

"Speaking of parenthood...Where's Dad?" Carli asked and Hal and I both stopped.

"Um...Carli," I began. "You and Amy might want to sit down..."

~Fin~


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